Ruth Nivar, a former employee of the D.C. Department of Human Services, has pleaded guilty to charges related to Hobbs Act extortion. The plea was made in U.S. District Court, where Nivar admitted to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiracy to commit the same crime.
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Matthews M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan from the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Nivar's charges are linked to a scheme that lasted several years, during which she extorted money from individuals seeking public assistance—a service she was supposed to provide free of charge as part of her job duties. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg has set her sentencing for April 25, 2025.
According to court documents, Nivar exploited her position starting in 2018 through May 2023 by taking money from applicants who sought public assistance benefits. In 2022, after suspecting law enforcement might be onto her activities, Nivar recruited Yessica Moya as an accomplice. Moya did not work for the D.C. government but helped facilitate the extortion.
Nivar shared confidential information with Moya about applicant eligibility and other sensitive data from the DHS database. Moya used this information to create online accounts and submit applications on behalf of those they targeted for extortion. Victims were instructed by Nivar to pay Moya, who then split the proceeds with Nivar.
Yessica Moya also pleaded guilty on January 8, 2025, admitting to aiding and abetting Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and conspiracy charges similar to those faced by Nivar. Her sentencing date is yet to be determined.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division alongside the D.C. Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Madhu Chugh and Will Hart are prosecuting the case for the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.