A Los Angeles County woman serving a life term for murdering her mother was sentenced Monday, July 10, to an additional seven years for running a $2 million COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme from behind bars that used stolen identities, some belonging to other inmates.
Natalie Le DeMola, 38, is now incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Corona and is eligible for parole in July 2026 for her murder conviction.
U.S. District Judge John Walter ordered her to serve her seven-year federal prison sentence consecutive to her state term. He also ordered DeMola to pay $933,181 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. DeMola and a dozen others were charged last year with using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits — including pandemic relief funds — mostly during the second half of 2020. The indictment names various defendants in 31 bank fraud counts and seven aggravated identity theft counts.
DeMola and her co-conspirators “would acquire the PII (personal identifying information), such as the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of individuals, including identity theft victims, who were not eligible for UI benefits, including pandemic benefits, because they were employed, retired, or incarcerated,” according to the document.
Members of the conspiracy used the information to make fraudulent online applications for benefits from the California Employment Development Department. Once the applications were approved, they received EDD-funded debit cards that allowed them to withdraw money from ATMs across Southern California.
The leaders of the ring were DeMola and Carleisha Plummer, 33, a close prison associate of DeMola’s until Plummer’s parole in July 2020, federal prosecutors said. DeMola pleaded guilty in March in Los Angeles federal court to charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Plummer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. She faces up to 32 years in prison at her October sentencing hearing, prosecutors said.
Earlier this month, the 13th and final defendant to plead guilty in the case was sentenced to four months in home detention. Mykara Robinson, 25, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one federal count of bank fraud.
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Cody says
Murderers shouldn’t have the option for parole in the first place. Save money and bring back the death penalty to remove these cancerous people from society.
Pay out says
This case sounds like murder and theft pays off, these people are not even spending that much time behind bars, and the money they took they can live off of that till they steal again, If you think they are going to pay restitution I can tell you they won’t and nothing will be done. That’s why it pays to be a criminal in California
Tim Scott says
Do you actually read before you spew? One person is serving life, the other is facing 32 years, and you are spewing “not even spending that much time behind bars.” Clearly you are driven by an agenda and not concerned about reality.
Tom says
If Tim read it he would see that DeMola who is serving life for her mothers death can be paroled as soon as 2026. Will it happen no, but the way California is going she has better odds of release than 10 years ago.
Tim Scott says
IF she gets paroled first try in 2026, which was highly unlikely, she would have served twenty years. How does 20 years fit the “not spending much time behind bars” narrative? It doesn’t. The spew is just the usual fact free nonsense from a RWNJ.
Shauntell says
You are delusional and a liar to say the least. Gaslighting at its best with a mentality like that it clearly shows who you are at the core. Clearly 7 years on top of a life sentence and 32 years is a death sentence especially when people who look like you are stealing much more and getting no consequences. please gtfoh