LOS ANGELES – (INT) - A Riverside County woman was sentenced Friday to 37 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $500,000 in COVID-19-related unemployment benefits.

Federal prosecutors said that Cara Marie Kirk-Connell, 33, of Menifee, used the stolen personal information of dozens of individuals obtained from the darknet.

Kirk-Connell pleaded guilty to using an unauthorized access device.

During five months in 2020, Kirk-Connell used personal information – such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers – that she knew had been stolen and accessed via the darknet.

Kirk-Connell, who also watched YouTube instructional videos on how to commit unemployment insurance fraud, then used the stolen information and identities to apply for unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).

When Murietta police arrested Kirk-Connell in September 2020 during a traffic stop, she possessed eight EDD debit cards.

Story Date: April 21, 2021