Two San Bernardino County residents, Lisa Puente and Arthur Marquez, were arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing over $2.1 million in COVID-19 unemployment funds, officials stated.
They are accused of filing more than 120 fake claims using stolen identities, including those of California prisoners, from February 2020 to August 2023.
The indictment says Puente and Marquez submitted false information to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD), claiming applicants lost work due to COVID-19 and lived in California. This led to debit cards being issued in victims’ names, which the defendants allegedly used to withdraw money and make purchases.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, with a trial scheduled for December 30. Puente was released on a $20,000 bond, and Marquez on a $10,000 bond.
If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison per mail fraud charge, 10 years for unauthorized device use, and an additional two years for identity theft.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.