Joint Media Advisory with Richland County Sheriff’s Department: Fraud Alert

Pictured L-R: DEW Executive Director William Floyd and RCSD Sheriff Leon Lott

Columbia, S.C. – Executive Director William Floyd and Sheriff Leon Lott announce the arrest of Jennifer Roberts for defrauding the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) of thousands of dollars by fraudulently obtaining federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

The case began in October 2022 when DEW requested the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) to investigate possible pretenses and forgery. The investigation revealed that Roberts had obtained approximately $60,000 in illicit funds after she used falsified documents and affirmations to claim she was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, thus, qualified to receive the undue funds.

Roberts was cooperative and confessed to perpetrating the entire scheme. She later turned herself in and was arrested on May 31, 2023. Roberts is charged with obtaining a signature or property under pretenses of $10,000 or more.

“DEW is committed to ensuring the integrity of South Carolina’s unemployment insurance program by providing benefits only to workers who lose their job through no fault of their own. We take our responsibility to protect our claimants seriously and do not tolerate those who defraud the unemployment system and unlawfully obtain funds. We are thankful for Sheriff Lott and his great team at the Sheriff’s Department for their efforts in this case,” stated DEW Executive Director William Floyd.

Visit dew.sc.gov/individuals/unemployment-insurance-fraud to learn how to report claimant and employer fraud to DEW, including identity theft and imposter claims.

"Please come knock on our door before we knock on yours,” said RCSD Sheriff Lott. “Having police cars show up to the homes of people who've simply had lapses in good judgment is not how we prefer to handle things."

Any persons wishing to self-report similar thefts are urged to contact the Richland County Sheriff’s Department or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers at crimesc.com.