Woman uses stolen identities in $330,000 unemployment scheme in California, feds say
A California woman accused of taking part in an 'elaborate' fraud scheme involving stolen identities is headed to prison, federal prosecutors said.
Kari Marie Russo, 46, from Oakland, was sentenced to 33 months plus one day behind bars, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California said in a March 31 news release.
Russo's attorney declined to comment in an April 1 email to McClatchy News.
In a court filing, the attorney said Russo struggled with drug addiction and domestic violence, and she's remorseful and 'has taken significant steps toward rehabilitation' since her arrest.
Russo and a co-defendant, Steven Dunsmore, 35, also from Oakland, are accused of using stolen information — such as Social Security numbers, names and birth dates — to make unemployment insurance claims, according to prosecutors.
They received more than $336,000, prosecutors said.
Their scheme began in June 2020, per the release, and the pair were arrested that November at a casino after Russo used a players card linked to a stolen identity, according to a court filing.
Police searched them and their vehicle and found 'multiple identification cards, credit cards, and credit card statements in the names of stolen identities. They also had numerous pieces of (mail from the state unemployment insurance agency) addressed to different names at' an apartment in San Francisco, the court filing said.
The one-bedroom unit, rented using a stolen identity, 'was connected to 33 separate unemployment insurance claims,' the filing said.
Russo and Dunsmore both pleaded guilty to two counts each of aggravated identity theft and fraudulent use of unauthorized access device, prosecutors said.
Russo also pleaded guilty to one count of failure to appear, according to prosecutors. While on pre-trial release, she entered residential drug treatment but then left without permission and skipped a required court date, prosecutors said.
Her attorney wrote in a filing that Russo left after she was harassed by someone in the program, and her father died the week of the court appearance.
Dunsmore was sentenced in June 2024 to 24 months plus one day behind bars, prosecutors said. Both he and Russo were ordered to pay restitution totaling $336,545.
McClatchy News reached out to Dunsmore's attorney April 1 and was awaiting a response.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NorCal man accused of selling fentanyl-laced pills to teen gets 8 years in prison
A Monterey County man was sentenced to more than eight years, in prison after he was convicted of selling pills laced with fentanyl via social media. Edward Tellez Solis, 27, was sentenced Monday to federal prison for distributing fentanyl-laced, fake oxycodone pills on social media and possessing a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California. The Marina resident was also accused of selling fake pills to a 15-year-old boy who died from an overdose. Federal prosecutors said the 15-year-old boy died after taking fake oxycodone pills, also known as "blues" or "M30," laced with fentanyl and sold by Tellez Solis in March 2022. Tellez Solis pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dig deeper Federal prosecutors said that Tellez Solis used social media apps like Snapchat and Telegram to advertise, sell, and distribute fentanyl-laced pills, cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA, Hydrocodone/Norco tablets, marijuana, and Xanax tablets. In March 2022, Tellez Solis delivered at least nine M30 pills to the boy, who soon died from an overdose, federal officials said. When officers searched Tellez Solis' car, they found more than $17,000 in cash, a loaded gun, three fully loaded magazines, and almost 90 rounds of ammo. His home yielded more than $98,000 in cash, officials said. What they're saying "While this sentence brings a measure of justice to the community for this crime, it can never undo the pain and devastation the defendant's reprehensible actions caused the victim's family," said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. "We will continue to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to fight the scourge of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics pouring over our border. We owe the victim's family and the people of the Northern District of California nothing less." "Edward Tellez Solis used social media as a superhighway to sell lethal drugs and line his pockets with the proceeds. [Monday's] sentencing marks a crucial step in bringing justice to the victim and a family devastated by the scourge of fentanyl," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. "We will be relentless in our pursuit of unscrupulous drug dealers who distribute poison in our community." Once released from prison, Tellez Solis will serve three years on supervised release. He must also pay nearly $30,000 in restitution to the teen's family, federal officials said.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania men accused in scheme that swiped $80M in U.S. Treasury checks
(WHTM) — Four Pennsylvania men are facing charges in connection with the theft of over $80 million in U.S. Treasury checks. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday charges against four men from the Philadelphia area: Tauheed Tucker, 23, and Saahir Irby, 27, both of Philadelphia; Cory Scott, 25, of Ardmore; and Alexander Telewoda, 25, of Clifton Heights. The men are facing felony conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and mail theft charges. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Irby and Tucker were working as mail processing clerks for the U.S. Postal Service between June 2023 and Sept. 2024. They are accused of intercepting and swiping thousands of envelopes containing U.S. Treasury checks from mail sorting machines at the USPS Philadelphia processing center. The men then allegedly sold them to Scott and Telewoda, who then resold the checks on Telegram. They were mailed to buyers across the country who attempted to cash them. In total, $80 million in checks were allegedly stolen, $11 million of which were cashed. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices If convicted, Irby faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and the remaining men face up to 20 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
DC mother found guilty of murder for death of 16-month-old daughter
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A D.C. woman was found guilty of murder Wednesday in the death of her 16-month-old daughter in March 2017. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia, 39-year-old Faneisha Scott was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree cruelty to children and second-degree cruelty to children. FCPD: Ex-Youth summer program leader charged with secretly recording minors Evidence stated that around 2:45 p.m. on March 21, 2017, Scott's friend- and her daughter Rhythm Fields' godmother- went to Scott's home in the 5400 block of C St. SE. The friend's 8-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm, but the friend found Rhythm in her playpen 'unresponsive and cold.' Scott went outside and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and went back into Scott's apartment with her. The mail carrier saw 'Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child's body was cold, her body was stiff, and her eyes were fixed,' the USAO said. The mail carrier remained on the phone with 911 until two others entered to give Rhythm CPR. The USAO said that one of these individuals was an experienced former firefighter who immediately recognized that Rhythm was dead. Scott told first responders that she hadn't had any contact with Rhythm since 9 a.m. 2 teens charged with 9 armed carjackings, robbery in DC; police search for more suspects The D.C. Medical Examiner's Office did an autopsy on Rhythm's body and ruled in February of 2018 that she had been killed and that her cause of death had been multiple blunt force injuries. The Medical Examiner's Office listed the following injuries: Contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso and extremities Subdural hemorrhage Cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia Retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage Twenty-three bilateral rib fractures, showing both healing and new fractures Scott's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
