CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati woman has been indicted on multiple charges after Ohio officials claim she improperly accessed unemployment claims from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program while she was employed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
According to a press release from the Office of the Inspector General, Randall Meyer, Janelle Thrower-Rivera has been charged with theft, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud and misuse of a computer.
ODJFS was notified by Deloitte Consulting LLP, a contractor, that the business had noticed Thrower-Rivera's accounts showed "possible suspicious activity," the investigation report says. At the time, Thrower-Rivera was working for ODJFS as an intermittent customer service representative, according to the press release.
As a customer service representative, Thrower-Rivera's role included providing assistance to claimants calling ODJFS with questions — not accessing PUA claims or adjudicating them.
Investigators determined, however that Thrower-Rivera had improperly attempted to release money to multiple claimants, including herself.
The investigation report says Thrower-Rivera was employed with ODJFS from June 8, 2020 until August 12, 2020, when she was fired for poor job attendance.
The report says that, after her termination, a review was performed of the claims that were accessed by her during her time with the agency; Investigators found that on July 3, while she was still employed at ODJFS, Thrower-Rivera filed her own PUA claim stating she was unemployed.
She was able to receive $32,463 in PUA funds for that claim, according to the investigation report.
In addition, Thrower-Rivera also improperly accessed five other claims, and was able to release money to one of those people; that person was able to collect a total of $15,393 as a result, the report says. Investigators determined that person was personally connected to Thrower-Rivera.
According to the report, five of the six claimants whose PUA accounts were accessed by Thrower-Rivera — including Thrower-Rivera herself — live in Cincinnati.
After the Office of the Ohio Inspector General concluded its investigation, the case was referred to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, which chose to pursue charges.
She was indicted July 2.
Thrower-Rivera isn't the only ODJFS employee in the Greater Cincinnati area who's been charged for fraudulently tampering with PUA claims. In 2023, four people were charged for allegedly defrauding the program.
Nia Beebe of the West End, Shaqunia Benion of West Price Hill and Jervonta Rowland of Springdale are facing charges of tampering with records and bribery. Donesha Shepard, the former ODJFS employee who lived in Westwood, faces charges of theft, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud and two counts of bribery.
Shepard had also been hired by ODJFS to work as an intermittent customer service representative.
In that case, ODJFS determined that, in 41 claims among 12 different people, Shepard improperly removed fraud flags from the claims, allowing people who were originally flagged as ineligible for PUA benefits to receive payment.
The claims she approved totaled $799,986, the Inspector General's office said.
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