Valley husband and wife sentenced for insurance fraud involving undocumented workers

A married couple from Delano was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday for unemployment insurance fraud, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott.

Raul Oropeza Lopez, 51, was ordered to serve three years and a month in prison and to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution. Ana Maria Oropeza, 45, will serve eight months on house arrest and three years on probation. Both were ordered to forfeit over $167,00 in seized cash, the news release said.

According to court documents, the pair stole social security numbers, names and other information from U.S. citizens. They set up undocumented workers with false identities to work. When the growing season was over and the workers were laid off, the pair filed unemployment insurance claims under the false names and collected insurance benefits.

They submitted more than 520 claims on behalf of 70 people over six years, according to the news release.

This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 9:21 PM.