March 4, 2025 – SACRAMENTO, CA – Rochelle Pasley, 34, of Citrus Heights, entered a guilty plea last Thursday to charges related to mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, as announced by the Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. Reports from court documents present a case wherein Pasley and her co-conspirator, Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 36, also of Citrus Heights, successfully executed a fraudulent operation between June and December 2020. They illegitimately sought Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits through the California Employment Development Department (EDD) under the auspices of the CARES Act.

Utilizing the personal identities of numerous individuals to submit countless fraudulent claims, defendants Pasley and Campbell created an illusion of legitimate unemployment or inability to secure employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several of these identities were invalid as their owners were not California residents, making them ineligible for EDD benefits.

The scheme enabled them to get control of over 50 approved claims as EDD authorized Bank of America to send out EDD debit cards containing the fraudulent benefits. Pasley and Campbell took the cards, used them to withdraw benefits from ATMs across California, and made direct purchases. Overall, they defrauded EDD of over $1 million. The investigation, which was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the EDD – Investigation Division, culminated in Pasley’s sentencing which is set to take place on June 26, 2025.

It’s important for individuals to understand how to contact EDD in order to check on their claims or report any fraudulent activity they suspect. EDD can be very hard to get hold of due to high call volumes, but eddcaller.com provides valuable tips on how to get through. It is also advisable to keep an eye on EDD payment status, which can be done online, to ensure all transactions are legitimate.