An Erie, Pennsylvania, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property stemming from an alleged scheme to accept unauthorized payments from unemployment claimants during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
The five-count indictment names Elizabeth Goss, 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Goss allegedly accepted unauthorized payments from unemployment compensation claimants while employed at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, approving and expediting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other pandemic-related unemployment claims for individuals who were not entitled to those benefits. The scheme allegedly ran from approximately June 2020 through February 2023, resulting in the payment of approximately $528,449 in unemployment compensation benefits to which claimants were not entitled, prosecutors said.
“This investigation and the resulting indictment send a clear message that government employees who steal and misuse public funds will be brought to justice,” Rivetti said.
Anthony P. D’Esposito, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, said his agency is focused on protecting the integrity of unemployment insurance programs.
“Fraud will not be tolerated,” D’Esposito said. “If you try to game the system, we will find you.”
Dave Cunningham, acting inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Pittsburgh Division, said postal inspectors remain committed to pursuing individuals who misuse the mail to defraud government programs.
Goss faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the four wire fraud counts, and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the theft of government property count, according to prosecutors. The actual sentence, if convicted, would be determined by the seriousness of the offenses and her prior criminal history under federal sentencing guidelines.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian A. Trabold. The investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
The indictment was announced in connection with the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, created April 7 to investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The effort supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.
An indictment is an accusation. Goss is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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