WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A Luzerne County woman will spend years behind bars for COVID-19 fraud.
Takiyah Austin, 47, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Austin worked for the Social Security Administration. Police say from 2020 to 2021, she filed pandemic unemployment claims for people who weren't eligible for them in exchange for payment. She also diverted unemployment money from others and used it for herself.
Police say Austin defrauded the government of over $288,000. She pleaded guilty last year.
