Sentencing for former SSA employee charged with fraud

A former employee with Social Security Administration was sentenced to three years in federal prison for pandemic relief fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Takiyah Gordon Austin, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, to three years in federal prison and three years of supervised release on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. Austin was also ordered to pay $288,590 in restitution. Austin, as a claims specialist, filed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims for ineligible recipients in exchange for payment from the individuals, according to a news release. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector GeneraL.