A former Richmond nurse has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Virginia Employment Commission and other agencies out of COVID-19-related benefits intended for unemployed workers.

Heather Huffman, 52, of Pleasant Hill, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to taking part in the scheme, which also involved the Washington State Employment Security Department and the California Employment Development Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Huffman and three others submitted applications and other materials using information from identity theft victims and inmates of various prisons, and created fake email accounts and forged documents, including state and federal wage tax forms, prosecutors said.

Huffman worked as a registered nurse at the Veteran Affairs Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center in Richmond and used her work computer to submit false paperwork, the statement said.

The Department of Justice estimated $2 million in false benefits were awarded.

Huffman is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 29 and faces up to 32 years in prison.

Co-conspirators Sheldon L. Huffman, Anthowan Daniels, and Dorothea Rosado have pleaded guilty to their roles and will be sentenced in November.

Read Full Story: https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-richmond-nurse-pleads...