EASTVALE, CA — An Inland Empire woman was sentenced last week to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in government benefits, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Thirty-year-old Eastvale resident Jasmine Unique Mallard-McCarter, a.k.a. “JasssyMC,” was sentenced June 18 by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered her to pay $1,765,407 in restitution.
McCarter pleaded guilty on February 28 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after federal prosecutors said she fraudulently claimed COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants, and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants.
McCarter pulled off the illegal scheme by impersonating others as she applied online for government benefits that she used for herself, prosecutors said.
McCarter also used the personal identifying information provided by co-conspirators to apply for government benefits on their behalf, knowing the co-conspirators were not eligible for those benefits, according to prosecutors.
It didn’t stop there. McCarter allegedly marketed her scheme so she could charge fees for instructing others how to scam the government for benefits.
Additionally, for a fee, McCarter served as a broker for counterfeit documents, including Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, IRS Forms 1040, W-2s, bank statements, educational degrees and transcripts, pay stubs, and doctors’ notes for handicapped placards, according to prosecutors.
In some instances, McCarter and her co-conspirators used the counterfeit documents to trick the government into paying unjustified benefits, prosecutors said.
The co-conspirators were not named in last week’s U.S. Department of Justice announcement.
McCarter advertised her fraud services on Instagram, using handles “JasssyMc” and “EliteRealEstateandBusiness.”
McCarter referred to herself as the “Jass of All Trades” in social media posts because she could file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, file grant applications, and broker counterfeit documents and identification in return for a fee.
According to McCarter’s Instagram posts, she charged a fee for introducing customers to her connection at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, who could help bypass requirements for smog checks, insurance, and registration.
