Mass. corrections officers indicted on federal fraud charges

Two Massachusetts corrections officers were arrested Friday on federal COVID unemployment and loan fraud charges.

Christnel Orisca, 25, of Boston, was indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. Jasmine Murphy, 38, also of Boston, was indicted on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.

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Both Orisca and Murphy are employed as corrections officers with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. Federal authorities said the charges against Orisca stem from benefits obtained prior to his time working for the sheriff's department, while the charges against Murphy pertain to benefits obtained prior to and during her employment there.

They were both arrested on Friday morning and are scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Friday afternoon.

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According to the charging document, Orisca has been a corrections officer with the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department since 2021. He allegedly fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits while working full-time, initially for a security company and later for a delivery company. While employed full-time, it is alleged that he collected approximately $54,700 in unemployment benefits and small business loan funds.

Murphy has been a corrections officer with the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department since 2022, according to the indictment. She allegedly fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits while working for trucking and workforce services companies. It is alleged that she collected approximately $44,346 in unemployment benefits and small business loan funds to which she was not entitled.

In both of their Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applications, it is alleged that Orisca and Murphy made fraudulent representations about their employment status and falsely claimed, on a weekly basis, that they did not work and did not receive any income during the prior week. In their Paycheck Protection Program loan applications, it is alleged that Orisca and Murphy submitted false statements to Small Business Adminitration-approved lenders about the income and/or payroll of their purported small businesses in order to obtain their loans. According to the charging documents, they also made false representations on forms submitted to request that their PPP loans be forgiven.

“This case highlights the critical importance of protecting taxpayer-funded programs like the CARES Act from fraud and abuse,” U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement. “These defendants, who hold positions of public trust as corrections officers, are alleged to have knowingly exploited pandemic relief programs intended to support small businesses and unemployed workers during a time of unprecedented crisis. Such conduct not only undermines the integrity of these programs but also betrays the public’s trust. My office remains steadfast in holding accountable those who engage in such schemes and ensuring that federal relief funds are used for their intended purpose – helping those in genuine need.”

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements to a financial institution provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.