Reports

A former Amtrak employee was sentenced today to 25 months in federal prison 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 the passenger railroad company.

A Nigerian man living in the San Gabriel Valley was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for defrauding California and Nevada out of $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment and disability insurance benefits by submitting more than 100 fraudulent applications using stolen identities and using the money to build a nightclub and mall in Nigeria.

A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman admitted that she fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits.

Freddy Urribarri, 42, and Mairilin Munoz 39, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with their submission of false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. Both defendants are Venezuelan nationals who were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allowed them to remain in the United States temporarily after they had entered the country. They were living in Dania Beach, Fl. at the time of their arrests.

Shahied Golden was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. He was also ordered to pay $24,090.82 in restitution.

VINCENZO MINUTOLO, 38, of Shelton, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to his fraudulent receipt of COVID-19 relief funds.