California woman and man charged with allegedly stealing over $2 million in illegal COVID relief funds
Two individuals from San Bernardino County have been apprehended on charges of fraudulently obtaining over $2.1 million in Covid-19 relief funds. Lisa Puente, aged 43, hailing from Rialto, and Arthur Marquez, aged 53, were taken into custody on November 5 following a nine-count federal grand jury indictment. The indictment alleges that the duo submitted more than 120 fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities from California state prisoners and victims residing out of state.
It has been reported that Puente and Marquez falsely claimed in their applications that the victims used to reside and work in California, even though most of the victims had no association with the state. The U.S. Department of Justice disclosed that the fraudulent scheme was operated by the accused pair from February 2020 to August 2023. The applications stated that the individuals’ employment had been adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, making them eligible for unemployment insurance benefits under federal law.
Puente and Marquez utilized debit cards generated by the fraudulent claims to withdraw the benefits from ATMs and make purchases at local establishments. The accused individuals face charges including six counts of mail fraud, one count of unauthorized access device usage, and one count each of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, they could potentially face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud count, up to 10 years for the unauthorized access device count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term for the aggravated identity theft count.
Both Puente and Marquez are currently out on bond and are scheduled to stand trial on December 30. The case highlights the importance of safeguarding relief funds and preventing fraudulent activities that exploit vulnerable individuals during times of crisis. It serves as a reminder of the repercussions individuals face when engaging in illicit schemes to exploit government aid programs.
