Pache.co Information Technologies

A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance was sentenced three and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to to fraud and identity theft charges for falsely requesting more than $240,000 in claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Tiffany Pacheco, 36, formerly of New Bedford, pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Aug. 30, 2021.

She was ordered to three years of supervision upon her release by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $199,555 and to forfeit $17,181, officials said.

Tiffany Pacheco was hired by the DUA in April of 2020 shortly after being released from federal prison following a conviction of aggravated identity theft. During her employment with the DUA, Tifanny Pacheco abused her position to submit fraudulent PUA claim information on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur Pacheco, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4, 2020, and therefore ineligible for PUA funds, prosecutors said.

In June 2020, PUA claims submitted for Tiffany Pacheco and her husband said their 2019 income was $0 and that they had no dependents. Tiffany Pacheco later accessed the PUA computer system and changed claim information for herself and her husband to increase the amount of money they would receive.

“For example, Tiffany Pacheco increased the amount of 2019 income for her and Arthur Pacheco to more than $240,000 and increased the number of their dependents to seven,” officials said.

Tiffany Pacheco then further used her access to the PUA system to verify the increased 2019 income on both claims without the required income verification documents, prosecutors said.

In November 2020, Arthur Pacheco called the DUA and told them that he had been not incarcerated leading up to September 2020 and that he was only incarcerated for approximately one month, which was not true, officials said. Tiffany Pacheco also lied about the period of time that her husband had been incarcerated to the DUA.

Authorities said Tiffany Pacheco also instructed a friend of hers, Donna Wasson, who resided in Texas, to use the DUA customer portal to access PUA claims for two of the fraudulent claims Tiffany Pacheco had submitted using stolen personal identifying information. Tiffany Pacheco further instructed Wasson to pose as a claimant and directed Wasson to a Google Drive account that contained the images of driver’s licenses and other documents under certain stolen identities. As a result, Wasson accessed unemployment claims under multiple stolen identities to fraudulently obtain benefits to which she was not entitled, officials said.

In September 2020, authorities also conducted a search of the Pacheco’s New Bedford apartment and found various tools of identity fraud including an ID laminator, 100 blank ID cards, 68 hologram overlays, 150 card lamination sheets and 649 sheets of blank checks.

Law enforcement also seized approximately $17,000 in cash and a notebook that they thought contained the personal identifying information of various individuals A driver’s license found during the search matched the name of a victim Tiffany Pacheco used to submit another fraudulent PUA claim, prosecutors said.

She was fired from the DUA on Sept. 23, 2020.

Arthur Pacheco was sentenced on Nov. 18, 2021 by Judge Talwani to one year in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $7,491.

On March 8, Wasson was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Wasson was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $5,437.

“Ms. Pacheco violated the public’s trust by egregiously abusing her position as a DUA employee to perpetrate a fraud scheme that stole personal information from innocent victims and stole money from hardworking taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “COVID-related assistance is intended to help hardworking American workers most affected by the pandemic. To take from these funds is to take from those experiencing legitimate hardship and genuine need. Adding insult to injury, Ms. Pacheco’s job at DUA presented an opportunity for new beginnings following her previous felony conviction. However, she ruined that opportunity by engaging in criminal behavior and refusing to change. Now she will be held responsible.”