Las Vegas
A Santa Clarita woman pleaded guilty today to her role in a conspiracy to use other peoples’ personal information — without their consent — to unlawfully apply for and obtain over $250,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, around May of 2020, Brittany Danielle Griesel, 38, and her co-conspirators submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Employment Development Department using other people’s personal identifying information.
In total, EDD approved more than $250,000 in benefits for these fraudulent claims, which Griesel and her co-conspirators spent on goods and services.
During a traffic stop in Las Vegas on August 8, 2020, law enforcement discovered Griesel was in possession of $45,464 in fraudulent proceeds obtained as part of the conspiracy.
Griesel pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to effect illegal transactions with access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Richard F Boulware II scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9. Griesel is facing up to nine and a half years in prison.