A Southern California woman has been sentenced to prison for stealing nearly $1 million through a scheme targeting Covid-19 unemployment benefits.
The woman was identified as 48-year-old Lisette Bellios Rason of Moreno Valley, according to the US Lawyer’s Office. She worked with her husband Kenneth Andrew Rason, 50, during the scheme.
In addition to Covid-related theft, Lizette, a former Amtrak employee, also fraudulently gained more than $63,000 in illness benefits while working for the railroad company, prosecutors said.
Joint-related crimes occurred from 2020 to March 2021. From 2014 until at least September 2022, Lisette operated at least three tax preparation businesses in Los Angeles and Moreno Valley.
Prosecutors said the couple took advantage of the expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARE) Act in 2020.
Lisette filed a fraudulent application with the California Employment Development Division (EDD) using names, social security numbers and personal information stolen from previous clients using a tax preparation company.
EDD officials allowed the debit card to be sent in the victim’s name, but the card was mailed to an address controlled by Lisette and her family. She and Kenneth used their debit cards to make cash withdrawals at ATMs and spent money on personal items, authorities said.
Through the scheme, the couple filed at least 44 fraudulent unemployment claims, collected around $998,630.
Lisette was employed at Amtrak from 2000 to 2021. From September 2014 to January 2020, prosecutors said they had fraudulently resigned the Railroad Retirement Committee from payment of illness benefits by submitting counterfeit and false claims that they said were being handled by medical professionals for pain and anxiety.
Through the scheme, she fraudulently collected approximately $63,047 in her illness benefits payments.
In November 2022, Lisette pleaded guilty to one conspiracy of mail fraud and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and one conspiracy of one wire fraud.
Her husband, Kenneth, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In July 2024, he was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $998,630 in reparations. He also owned a .22 caliber rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun despite his criminal history. This included felony convictions in California court for theft, possession of cocaine and fraud.
On July 17, 2025, Lisette was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,061,667 in reparations.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud, including Covid-19, can report the Department of Justice National Disaster Fraud Hotline hotline hotline through the NCDF Web complaint form or by calling online.
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