A woman arrested for crack cocaine possession pleaded guilty to COVID-19 relief fraud after officers found multiple stolen identification cards in her vehicle.
Danielle Tooley, 37, of Batavia, New York, was questioned by the police officers during a traffic stop.
After discovering drug paraphernalia in the car, cops detained Tooley and discovered proof of fraud and identity theft in the same vehicle.
“The scheme came to the attention of law enforcement on Nov. 24, 2020, when Tooley was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance during a vehicle traffic stop on Clinton Street in Bergen, New York,” the Department of Justice stated in a report.
The report continued, “A New York State Police trooper observed a crack pipe with white residue inside Tooley’s vehicle. Tooley admitted at the time that she had crack cocaine in the center console of the vehicle.”
Six unemployment benefit cards were recovered, none of which were issued to Tooley. The cards were brought to the attention of the officials just before the vehicle was hauled away.
According to the DOJ, Tooley pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges on June 8.
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between July 9 and Dec. 4, 2020, Tooley applied for and collected unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled, benefits that were connected to federal COVID-19 relief programs,” the DOJ said in its report.
