Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ABINGDON, Va. – Three co-conspirators who stole more than $650,000 from Virginia taxpayers by using the personally identifying information (PII) of inmates at Duffield Regional Jail, and others who were ineligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, to file false unemployment benefits claims, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.Jonathan Ricketts, 45, of Duffield, Va., was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison. He previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. He was also ordered to pay $669,124 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts.Christopher Woliver, 37, of Big Stone Gap, Va., was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison. He previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. He was also ordered to pay $29,076 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts and Jonathan Ricketts.Megan Caudill, 39, of Swords Creek, Va., was sentenced today to 30 days in prison and three years of supervised release, with 12 months being on home confinement. She previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. In addition, she was ordered to pay $166,204 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts and Jonathan Ricketts.