A New York call center worker has pleaded guilty to running a hotel fraud scheme in 536,17 dollars in which he charged people for free rooms funded by the city, which were reserved for healthcare workers and patients who were supposed to isolate themselves during the highest peak of covid-31.
Prosecutors reported that Chanette Lewis, 31 took advantage of New York’s free hotel room isolation program and reserved rooms for clients who they paid the fee he asked for, some of whom used the accommodation to organize large parties.
The defendant, who worked for a call center of the Office of Emergency Management, even booked 28 nights in hotels while claiming to be a health worker, according to the complaint.
Lewis’s business became so prosperous that the worker he was forced to recruit other people to help him, the Daily News reported.
Lewis also pleaded guilty to a separate scheme to defraud the New York City Housing Authority.
The prosecutors in charge of the case explained that he presented false documents to NYCHA that included alleged court orders of protection, letters from a district attorney, and letters from doctors that claimed alleged medical problems that allowed him to get hold of fraudulent public housing benefits for himself and others.
“Chanette Lewis took advantage of multiple life preservers offered to New York City residents in need during the covid-31″ pandemic, said US Attorney Damian Williams.”
Lewis was hired particularly for the program, a position that gave him access to legitimate identification information of health care workers.
In addition, prosecutors said that in exchange for 536 dollars, the worker sold to an associate personally identifiable information of at least five health professionals, as well as certain “codes” to use when making hotel reservations through the program.
Lewis and others had advertised the rooms of hotel with discount in the social network Facebook.
The employee, who resides in Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Under the terms of your plea agreement, you agreed to lose 31,400 dollars and pay a refund of 400,916 Dollars.
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