Former Turlock man sentenced for unemployment fraud scheme trying to steal millions

A former Turlock man on Thursday was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to steal about $2.5 million in fraudulent state unemployment insurance claims.

Russell White III, 38, is the fourth person to be convicted and sentenced in the fraud case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced in a news release.

Federal prosecutors have said the conspirators filed fraudulent claims with information received from a woman who worked as a tax compliance representative for the California Employment Development Department.

Pamela Emanuel, 58, of San Jose also has been implicated in the alleged fraud scheme, and her charges are still pending. She worked as a tax compliance representative for the EDD.

The alleged scheme was conducted from July 22, 2015, through July 14, 2016, in which White and his conspirators filed at least 269 false unemployment insurance claims in the names of unknowing victims, according to prosecutors. They said the conspirators collected nearly $900,000 in fraudulent benefits.

White received and facilitated EDD documents at two Turlock addresses associated to him, prosecutors said, and he used at least 12 EDD debit cards issued in the names of identity-theft victims.

White’s other co-defendants were Sergio Doriante Sanchez Reyna of Stockton, Gregory Lee of Antioch and Brittany Maunakea of Manteca.

Reyna was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison; Lee received a nine-year prison sentence; and Maunakea was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars. The court ordered Reyna to pay $436,000 in restitution. Lee was ordered to pay back $353,000 and Maunakea $139,000.