OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALPress Releases
No Amount Too Small, No Fraud Too Large - And Counting. Kentucky to Georgia – Pharmacist to Sitting Elected Official – Nearly $6M in Schemes, DOL Inspector General Pursues Every Dollar of Fraud, No Matter the Amount.
April 30, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General
WASHINGTON — Three fraudsters. Nearly $6 million in stolen taxpayer funds. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General under the leadership of Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito and in partnership with federal, state and local authorities are cracking down on taxpayer fraud. Fraud is fraud. Nothing is too big or too small. “Whether you're a licensed pharmacist writing fraudulent prescriptions to line your own pockets, an elected official stealing pandemic relief meant for hardworking Americans, or a podcaster who turned 'F.R.A.U.D. is Dope' from a catchphrase into a federal prison sentence — no title, no license, and no position of trust will shield you from accountability.” Said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor “The American people are done being defrauded. My office stands shoulder to shoulder with Vice President Vance and his dedicated Fraud Task force in this fight — we will leave no stone unturned in the hunt to ensure every dollar is accounted for and every fraudster receives the federal prison sentence they deserve.”
ATLANTA – Podcaster Jonathan Dupiton has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for using stolen identities to obtain millions of dollars in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. After receiving UI debit cards totaling approximately $3.8 million from the California Employment Development Department, Dupiton and his conspirators withdrew or otherwise spent more than $2 million of the fraudulently obtained funds. This was a joint investigation with the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the FBI. “Jonathan Dupiton stole identities and filed hundreds of fraudulent claims to steal nearly $4 million in unemployment benefits meant for struggling Americans, said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. His sentencing sends a strong message: if you exploit federal programs and steal from taxpayers, my office will relentlessly pursue you. We work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners and have zero tolerance for fraud. We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
PADUCAH, KY - Pharmacist, Michael Shawn Boaz, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 13 counts of fraudulent prescriptions. Boaz was also ordered to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution, of which $233,521 will be repaid to DOL’s Office of Workers' Compensation Program. Boaz fraudulently billed health care providers $1,000–$6,000 per bottle for "free" boutique vitamins he added to customers' prescriptions. He also submitted false claims for unauthorized Carbinoxamine Maleate prescriptions, purchasing them for $605 while billing providers $2,000–$16,000 each. His co-conspirator, Christopher Clayton Augustus, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, fraudulent prescriptions, and aggravated identity theft. He is awaiting sentencing. “Boaz exploited injured workers at their most vulnerable, abused their trust, and ripped off nearly $2 million in health care from the federal workers’ compensation system. This ends now. The White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President Vance is exactly the aggressive action we need to make that promise a reality. If you steal from the American people, we will find you and we will put you behind bars. Accountability is not optional.”
ATLANTA - Former Georgia State Representative Karen Bennett was sentenced to time served and required to pay a $100 special assessment fee and a $1,000 fine for making false statements to fraudulently obtain pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. She was a sitting elected official with multiple income streams who stole over $13,000 in pandemic relief from those who needed it. This is a joint investigation with the FBI, Georgia Office of State Inspector General, and DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. “Karen Bennett, while serving her constituents as an elected member of the Georgia House of Representatives, unlawfully enriched herself with taxpayer funds from an unemployment program intended to assist American workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, “We will continue our efforts to investigate and bring to justice all who defraud taxpayers by exploiting Department of Labor programs.”
No amount too small, no fraud too large - and counting.
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