A former employee of the Washington State Employment Security Department has been sentenced after admitting to stealing more than $51,000 from the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave and unemployment insurance programs.
On July 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Rebecca L. Pennell sentenced Tasha Hoggatt, 51, of Valencia, California, to five years of probation, including six months of home confinement. The court also ordered Hoggatt to pay $51,403 in restitution and a $4,000 fine after she pleaded guilty to theft involving programs that receive federal funds.
According to court documents, Hoggatt worked for the Employment Security Department as a Human Resource Consultant from October 2021 through October 2022 and later returned as a Benefits Specialist from May through September 2024.
Prosecutors said Hoggatt submitted fraudulent Paid Family and Medical Leave claims for herself and two family members using fabricated medical information and documents containing forged physician signatures. Authorities also said she improperly collected unemployment insurance benefits between October 2022 and May 2024 by falsely claiming she was unemployed while working in California.
Federal officials stated that the fraudulent claims resulted in the theft of $51,403 from Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave and unemployment insurance programs.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. Federal officials said the prosecution reflects ongoing efforts to protect public benefit programs and hold individuals accountable for fraud involving state and federal funds.
