“During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, despicable acts of fraud involving EDD were committed. There was an immediate need for financial assistance for those Californians who suddenly and unexpectedly suffered job losses and criminals took advantage of the need to quickly process unemployment applications. I applaud the investigators, statewide, who are investigating, arresting, and assisting in the prosecution of those who orchestrated and participated in these EDD fraud schemes.” -CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
SACRAMENTO – On January 18, 2022, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced the January 6th arrest of Jamie Williams-Major, 35, for 166 charges related to an Employment Development Department (EDD) fraud scheme totaling more than $2.75 million dollars. Williams-Major is accused of fraudulently filing 166 EDD claims in the names of state prison inmates and identity theft victims. According to the district attorney’s office, this is the largest EDD fraud scheme discovered in Sacramento County.
In April of 2021, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Employment Development Department arrested Williams-Major and six other subjects who were state and local inmates. At that time, law enforcement believed the subjects obtained more than $250,000 in a fraudulent EDD scheme. See Prior Press Release
After law enforcement arrested Williams-Major in April, they obtained a search warrant and searched the contents of her cell phone. Law enforcement discovered the fraud was 10 times bigger than first suspected. Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Williams-Major and on January 6th, arrested her in Las Vegas.
Williams-Major was transported to Sacramento to face additional charges and was scheduled to arraigned on January 19, 2022. See Charging Document
