Southern Arizona couple sentenced for pandemic assistance fraud

PHOENIX — A Tucson couple was sentenced last month for stealing thousands of dollars from the Arizona Department of Economic Security through Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, authorities announced Wednesday.

David Christopher Ellis, 42, was sentenced to six years in state prison, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He pleaded guilty in November 2025.

He is a repeat felony offender, according to records from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

His wife, 44-year-old Gabbrielle Elizabeth Ellis, was sentenced to seven years of probation. She pleaded guilty in December 2025.

Both pleaded guilty to fraudulent schemes and artifices in Pima County Superior Court.

They must also pay $62,151 in restitution.

How did their pandemic assistance fraud scheme work?

Prosecutors said the couple submitted false PUA applications between June and August 2020.

They used the identities of unwitting victims, including incarcerated inmates, collecting the benefit payments for themselves.

Overall, they raked in over $60,000 in benefits at the expense of Arizona taxpayers and the people whose identities they stole.

Attorney General Kris Mayes, who has shared strategies for preventing identity theft, condemned the duo.

“Those who exploit public assistance programs will be held accountable,” Mayes said in the announcement. “My office will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect Arizona taxpayers and ensure that critical safety net resources reach those who truly need them.”

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