A 37-year-old Batavia woman admitted in Federal Court today to wire fraud in a case that involves her possession of unemployment benefit cards in the names of other people.
Danielle Tooley faces up to 30 years in Federal prison and a $1 million fine when she is sentenced in August.
A state trooper uncovered the fraud during a routine traffic stop in Bergen on Nov. 24 in which he first discovered evidence of crack cocaine and then during a search of the vehicle found six NYS unemployment benefit cards in the vehicle's center console.
According to the trooper, he observed a crack pipe with white residue in the vehicle. Tooley admitted at the time that she had crack cocaine in the vehicle's center console. As he prepared the vehicle to be towed, he recovered the cards made out to individuals other than Tooley. He turned the cards over to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Federal authorities investigated and found that Tooley had withdrawn money from bank accounts associated with the benefit cards.
Prosecutors say that Tooley used the COVID-19 relief program to perpetuate her fraud.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Todd Allen; the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Burr; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Sharon B. MacDermott; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 17, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
