A California woman locked up for life for the first-degree murder of her mother in 2001 was sentenced Monday to seven more years for her role in a COVID-19 unemployment benefits fraud scheme.
Natalie Le DeMola, 38, was incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Corona when she began leading a fraud scheme in June 2020. DeMola and her co-conspirators stole personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers.
The victims targeted were ineligible for COVID-19 unemployment benefits in California for varying reasons, including retirement, gainful employment, or being incarcerated. Some of DeMola’s fellow inmates were among those who had their identities stolen.
Using the stolen identities, the participants filed fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits. The group’s beneficiaries were then able to use debit cards provided by the California Employment Development Department to withdraw money from ATM machines in Southern California.
Until the scheme was halted in 2021, the conspiracy stole $1,546,933. DeMola, as part of her sentencing, will be required to pay back $933,181 in restitution.
“[Demola] made a cost-benefit analysis and decided that the money and influence, including among fellow inmates, that she stood to gain was worth the additional penalties she faced if she were caught,” prosecutors argued in court documents, as cited in a release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
There were 13 convictions in the case. DeMola was convicted on March 7 of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The judge ruled that DeMola’s seven years for the above charges be served consecutively with her life sentence. DeMola is eligible for parole for murder in July 2026 — if she were to be paroled at the first opportunity, she would then serve time for the fraud until July 2033.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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