Sacramento, California - Angela Stubblefield, 49, of Tacoma, Washington, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to two years and six months in prison and ordered to pay $219,871 in restitution for a disability benefits fraud and identity theft scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between June 14, 2013, and May 1, 2017, Stubblefield and co‑defendant Katherine Decker participated in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing fraudulent claims for disability insurance benefits with the California Employment Development Department (EDD). In furtherance of the scheme, Decker and Stubblefield used Decker’s position as an employee with the EDD to file fraudulent claims for disability benefits and to fraudulently extend existing disability claims, using the names and identities of real persons with and without their knowledge. In total, the conspiracy resulted in 15 fraudulent disability claims, resulting in a loss to the EDD of approximately $373,566.
“EDD employees rigorously work to protect the confidentiality of our claimant’s information and the integrity of the Disability Insurance program for Californians in need,” said EDD Director Sharon Hilliard. “We are grateful for the partnership of our federal and state partners in prosecuting any violator of that policy to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was the product of an investigation by EDD’s Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Amy S. Hitchcock prosecuted the case.
Stubblefield was ordered to report to begin service of her sentence by Feb. 1, 2021. On Sept. 14, Stubblefield’s co-defendant Katherine Decker was sentenced by Judge Mueller to three years and seven months in prison for the disability benefits fraud and identity theft scheme.
