WASHINGTON — A former D.C. Department of Human Services employee and their alleged accomplice were arrested Tuesday morning on charges of extortion and conspiracy in connection to a scheme to defraud people applying for health care coverage.
Ruth Nivar, 56, and Yessica Moya, 35, both of Washington, D.C. have been identified as suspects. Both are now facing charges.
According to an indictment that was unsealed on Monday, Nivar, a former employee at the District of Columbia Department of Human Services, was charged with extorting payments from people applying for health care coverage from the D.C. government to process those benefits. As early as November 2022, Nivar reportedly introduced Moya as an accomplice into her extortion scheme in an attempt to hide Nivar's receipt of payment and information from law enforcement.
If convicted, both suspects face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for committing Hobbs Act extortion and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion.
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