An Erie, Pennsylvania, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
Elizabeth Goss, 43, was formerly employed at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
The five-count Indictment alleges Goss from June 2020 to February 2023, Elizabeth Goss, while working at the state labor department, accepted unauthorized payments from unemployment compensation claimants to approve and expedite Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other pandemic-related unemployment claims even though the claimants were not entitled to those benefits.
The Indictment alleges that Goss’s actions resulted in the payment of about $528,449 in unemployment compensation benefits to which claimants were not entitled.
“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. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud and safeguarding the public treasury.”
“At the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, we are relentless in protecting the integrity of unemployment insurance programs,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we are going on offense against fraud—tracking down those who exploit these benefits and holding them accountable. Fraud will not be tolerated. If you try to game the system, we will find you.”
Goss faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both at each of Counts One through Four — wire fraud and a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both at Count Five — theft of government property.
