Co-conspirators sentenced to at least 7 years for $6.8M fraud scheme in Franklin County

Two men who orchestrated the theft of almost $7 million in fraudulent employment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic will spend a minimum of seven years in prison.

On April 27, Andrew Kerobo, 27, pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and was sentenced by Judge Julie Lynch. Deonta Belser, 28, received the same sentence on Feb. 2, which includes a maximum prison term of 10.5 years. Judge Lynch also ordered both defendants to jointly pay $6,788,583 in restitution.

Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Myra Scheurer and Brendan Inscho prosecuted both defendants, along with 13 other co-conspirators.

"Defrauding programs designed to help Ohioans in crisis is a serious offense, and this office remains committed to pursuing that accountability,” said Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shayla D. Favor. "I want to thank Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Myra Scheurer and Brendan Inscho for their skilled work on this complex prosecution, and our partners at the Ohio Inspector General's Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for their thorough investigation. Together, we have secured a just outcome and helped ensure these funds are protected for the people who need them most."

Kerobo was a seasonal teleservices representative for Randstad who handled inbound calls from Ohioans in need of assistance in 2020. Randstad terminated Kerobo’s employment after 75 days, but neglected to deactivate his login credentials.

Investigators with the Office of the Inspector General and Ohio State Highway Patrol concluded continued login access enabled Kerobo to fraudulently release more than $6.8 million in improper Pandemic Assistance Benefits.

Investigators determined Belser recruited several other co-conspirators to file additional fraudulent unemployment claims.