A California Highway Patrol dispatcher and her convicted-felon husband were among five Los Angeles County residents arrested on federal charges alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $3.3 million in COVID-19 government unemployment benefits using stolen identities, officials announced Thursday, March 6.
Prosecutors said the following defendants were charged by a federal grand jury in downtown Los Angeles with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud:
- Janet Clarise Gloria Theus, 44, of Lancaster;
- Diane Clarise Theus, 78, of Lancaster, the mother of Janet Theus;
- Dailen Spears, 24, of Carson;
- Erica Abson Robins, 57, of Compton, a CHP dispatcher; and
- Ronald Lee Robins, 62, of Compton, Erica Robins’ husband, who was serving a state prison sentence for first-degree burglary during the alleged scheme.
Janet Theus also is charged with four counts of bank fraud. Diane Theus and Erica Abson Robins each have been charged with two counts of bank fraud. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, Erica Abson Robins and Ronald Lee Robins are charged with one count of unlawful use of unauthorized access devices, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Janet Theus and Diane Theus surrendered to federal authorities Thursday.
The Robins couple were arrested Wednesday, while Spears surrendered to federal authorities the same day. All three were arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all charges, and a tentative April 29 trial date was scheduled. Erica Robins and Spears were ordered released on $10,000 bond. A detention hearing was scheduled for Tuesday for Ronald Robins, who remains in federal custody, authorities said.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants from April 2020 to July 2022 executed a scheme to collect and share personal information, including names and Social Security numbers, from individuals to fraudulently receive COVID-19 unemployment cash benefits. After collecting the personal information, the defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment assistance applications, falsely claiming that the applicants had lost jobs because of the pandemic. Janet Theus, Diane Theus and Erica Robins then withdrew cash at ATMs from the job-loss cash assistance accounts they conspired to create, prosecutors contend.
The indictment also alleges that Erica Robins used her position as a CHP dispatcher to query a law enforcement database containing Social Security numbers and dates of birth regarding an inmate at the California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo, which was then used to obtain COVID-19 job-loss cash benefits.
At the time, Erica Robins’ husband, Ronald Robins, was an inmate at the same prison. While incarcerated, Robins collected Social Security numbers and dates of birth from other inmates, which Janet and Diane Theus then used to withdraw COVID-19 job-loss cash benefits, the indictment alleges.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face up to 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud-related count. Janet and Diane Theus, and Erica and Ronald Robins would face up to 10 years in federal prison for unlawful use of unauthorized access devices if convicted, prosecutors said.