Donte Clements, 35, and Kaila Leaann Shanteau-Jackson, 32, scammed the unemployment system to get $993,081 for themselves. In January 2024 Donte was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Charlotte, NC.
The 2 suspects were involved in a COVID-19 fraud scheme that amassed nearly $1 million.
From June 2020 to September 2021, Donte conspired with Kaila to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of Arizona, by fraudulently receiving and cashing COVID-19 unemployment insurance payments diverted to Donte by Kalia.
During the relevant time period, Kalia was employed as a vendor contractor and held the position of ‘Pre-Paid Claims Initiation Agent’ for a financial institution that serviced the unemployment benefit program in Arizona.
As part of her employment, Kalia had access to the financial institution’s Pre-Paid Administration System and was responsible for mailing unemployment benefits to qualified recipients in the form of pre-paid debit cards.
Donte Clements was accused of murdering Monica Smith on Memorial Day weekend
Kalia used her employment credentials to divert and re-route benefit payments intended for 138 victims to Donte in Charlotte, NC, herself, and others.
To effectuate the scheme, Kalia changed in the pre paid database the rightful recipients’ address information to addresses in Charlotte to which Donte and others had access.
Once Donte and others received the re-routed pre-paid debit cards, they either withdrew the benefits in cash from ATMs or conducted retail purchases with the stolen funds.
During the scheme, Donte and Kalia diverted approximately $993,000 in benefits to themselves. Federal officials eventually caught on to the scheme after complaints from the rightful recipients.
Donte and Kalia were arrested in 2022.
In August 2022, Donte pleaded guilty to wire fraud for the COVID-19 fraud scheme. In addition, Donte pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, stemming from criminal charges brought against him under a separate indictment.
In July 2022, Kalia pleaded guilty to wire fraud for her role in the COVID-19 scheme and is awaiting sentencing.
