Russell County Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty To Massive Unemployment Fraud Scheme

A Russell County woman pleads guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States Government of more than 499 thousand dollars. 28 year old Leelynn Danielle Chytka made the plea after she conspired to defraud an unemployment system by filing multiple fraudulent unemployment claims in an effort to collect almost 500 thousand dollars in benefits she was not entitled to. Chytka, along with other co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the Virginia Employment Commission by filing for unemployment insurance using the identities of individuals, many who were incarcerated. Over a nine month period, Chytka filed claims for at least 37 individuals at a total loss to the United States Government of at least 499 thousand dollars. Chytka made the plea Thursday in Abingdon’s United States District Court.