Reports

CINCINNATI – Federal agents arrested nine individuals for crimes relating to a conspiracy to buy firearms online and have them shipped to Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees (FFLs). It is alleged that more than 70 firearms were bought with stolen credit card information and picked up, or attempted to be picked up, at local FFLs via straw purchases that hid the identity of the true buyer. Several of the defendants are also charged with COVID-relief crimes totaling more than $120,000 in alleged loss.

PROVIDENCE – A Providence man who participated in a conspiracy that submitted online applications as part of an effort to fraudulently collect approximately $243,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits from at least seven states, which he did while serving a term of federal supervised release that followed his conviction and incarceration for sex trafficking, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

PROVIDENCE – A Providence man who, with others, fraudulently applied for over $90,000 in pandemic-relief unemployment benefits, and who actually received over $30,000 of those benefits, some of which he boasted that he used to purchase firearms, an iPhone and marijuana, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A West Warwick man who admitted to a federal judge that he participated in a conspiracy to use the stolen identities of others to gain COVID related unemployment insurance benefits was sentenced today to three years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Gladstone Njokem, age 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2023, to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1.3 million in COVID-19 CARES Act unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Ryan Dales, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, with wire fraud, relating to the submission of fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The complaint was filed January 13, 2023, and unsealed today...

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Medard Ulysse, age 38, most recently of Miami, Florida, today to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to multiple fraud schemes, including an elder fraud “grandparent” scam and a COVID-19 CARES Act fraud related to unemployment benefits. Judge Bennett also ordered Ulysse to pay restitution totaling $2,485,512. Of that amount $1,866,745 is for the elder fraud scam and $618,767 is for the unemployment benefits scheme.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Don V. Cisternino (47, Chuluota) to eight years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal monetary transaction. The court also ordered Cisternino to forfeit a total of $1,071,923.98 seized from five different bank accounts, which are funds traceable to proceeds of the offense. In addition, the court entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $7.21 million, which represents the total proceeds obtained by Cisternino from the wire fraud scheme. The court also ordered Cisternino...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An East Providence man who submitted eight fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $375,000 in COVID-19 relief business loans guaranteed by the federal Small Business Administration has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man admitted to a federal judge on Tuesday that he conspired with others to deposit and cash counterfeit checks created using stolen business and personal banking information, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

PROVIDENCE – A Providence man today admitted to a federal judge that he participated in a conspiracy to fraudulently submit online applications in his name and in the names of other persons to collect COVID-related unemployment benefits from at least seven states, and that he did so while serving a term of federal supervised release that followed his conviction and incarceration for sex trafficking, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

A former United States Postal Service mail carrier was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for scheming to steal more than $250,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) funds by making false claims of COVID-related job losses and for stealing UI debit cards intended for other people on his mail route.

A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment adding two new defendants to the nine defendants previously charged in relation to a Maryland and California unemployment insurance scheme. The superseding indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and stealing a post office key. The superseding indictment was returned on November 30, 2022.

Jaleel Phillips, age 25, of Capital Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal wire fraud conspiracy, in relation to a scheme to unlawfully obtain COVID-19 relief loans and unemployment benefits.

A former Amtrak employee pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for conspiring with her husband to steal nearly $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and for fraudulently obtaining more than $63,000 in sickness benefits while she worked at Amtrak.

BOSTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance and small business loans in 12 different states.

Our audit sought to determine if unemployment claims filed in the name of Ulster County employees were handled in accordance with current law and Ulster County policy. Our audit revealed that the Personnel Department properly identified fraudulent unemployment claims and challenged those claims. In addition, the Personnel Department staff appropriately notified the Sheriff’s Department and the Information Systems Department about the potential unemployment insurance fraud. However, it appears that some employees may not have been notified by the Personnel Department that they were the victims...

The Department of Justice announced today new criminal charges, convictions, and sentences as part of its ongoing initiative to prosecute fraud in connection with various pandemic relief programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, as well as other crimes relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19 during fiscal year 2022, ending September 30, 2022. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with using others’ identities to fraudulently obtain over $65,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to 16 counts of wire and passport fraud. The defendant stole the identity of a baby who died as an infant and used the infant’s identity to obtain a passport, a student pilot license, a job as a flight attendant, and pandemic relief loans.

Tacoma – A 45-year-old resident of Lekki, Nigeria, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 5 years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his attempt to steal nearly $2.4 million from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.

Medard Ulysse, age 38, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to multiple fraud schemes, including an elder “grandparent” scheme and a COVID-19 CARES Act Fraud scheme.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 for fraud, identity theft, firearm and drug offenses.

U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Robert Hopkins IV, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland to 51 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges relating to multiple identity theft and fraud schemes, including the submission of fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. Judge Chasanow also ordered Hopkins to pay $456,784.54 in restitution.

Tacoma – A former employee of Washington State’s Employment Security Department (ESD) was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to five years in prison for three federal felonies for his scheme to exploit his employment for personal enrichment and to fraudulently distribute at least $360,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown

Recognized as a leader in pandemic relief fraud prosecutions, the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office has been selected to head one of three COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams nationally.