NEW ORLEANS—U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that TENILLE NIELSON, age 34, of Franklinton, was sentenced today for her role in a scheme to defraud the Louisiana Workforce Commission of unemployment benefits.

U.S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan sentenced NIELSON to three years’ probation and restitution in the amount of $6,422.

According to the court documents, beginning at a time unknown, but no later than on or about September 24, 2009, and continuing through on or about January 11, 2014, NIELSON, along with CHARLES E. MIZELL, JR., TERRY CASTILOW, WILLIAM DARRYL KING, DAVID LOWE, JAMES CREEL, JERRY ATHEY, JACQUELINE MYERS, and ROGER NADEAU, conspired to defraud the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”) of money and property by means of false and fraudulent representations, pretenses and promises, well knowing the representations, pretenses and promises were false, and mailed and caused to be mailed through the United States Postal Service unemployment (“UI”) benefit claim forms for the purpose of obtaining UI benefits to which they were not entitled. Specifically, at the time NIELSON applied for UI benefits and made weekly representations to LWC that she was unemployed and not getting paid, MIZELL, JR., actually employed her at Chamico, Inc., a Bogalusa construction company that concentrates on public, municipal, and industrial contracts.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Labor-OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Louisiana Workforce Commission in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Greenfield was in charge of the prosecution.