Silver Spring Woman Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Role in COVID Fraud Scheme
Posted August 9, 2026
Elizabeth Maria Ceballos, 50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced in federal court to 40 months in prison for an unemployment insurance fraud conspiracy tied to the COVID era. Prosecutors said she and Vanessa Valdez fabricated false tax documents for claims submitted to the Maryland Department of Labor from at least May 2020 through September 2021. The court also ordered Ceballos to pay $638,889 in restitution.
This is an AI-written summary of reporting published elsewhere. Read the original: justice.gov