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Law enforcement today arrested six defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $2 million in COVID-19-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits by submitting fraudulent applications in the names of others that falsely asserted, among other things, that the claimants were salon and barbershop workers rendered jobless because of the pandemic.

A rapper who boasted in a YouTube music video about getting rich by committing pandemic-related unemployment benefits fraud has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud and firearms charges, the Justice Department announced today.

BOSTON – A Springfield woman was sentenced yesterday for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.

BOSTON – A New York Man was sentenced today on charges arising from a scheme to fraudulently obtain business loans and unemployment pandemic relief funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Tacoma – A former employee of Washington State’s Employment Security Department pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 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.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Melinda Sue Hernandez (33, Ruskin) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, as well as a consecutive two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft count.

This audit report provides the results of our evaluation of the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s (LWC) Unemployment Insurance program and federally-funded COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment assistance programs. The purpose of this audit was to determine if the IRS Form 1099-Gs (1099s) filed by LWC with the IRS accurately reported the amount of unemployment benefits paid to claimants during calendar years 2020 and 2021. Overall, we found that LWC filed accurate 1099s for unemployment benefits paid to 698,372 (99.7%) of 700,204 claimants in calendar year 2020. However, we found that LWC did...

U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Christopher Guy, age 30, of Tampa, Florida to 65 months in federal prison, followed by a three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Judge Gallagher also ordered Guy to pay $176,970 in restitution.

Federal authorities this morning arrested a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier and a Santa Clarita Valley man for allegedly scheming to steal approximately $800,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) funds by using false claims of COVID-related job losses and stealing UI debit cards from the U.S. mail.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Idowu Raji, age 40, of Baltimore County, Maryland, to 94 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft in relation to multiple financial schemes. The Court also ordered Raji to pay $1,793,472 in restitution.

BOSTON – A Leicester woman has pleaded guilty to her involvement in a pandemic unemployment fraud scheme.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to fraud, identity theft, firearm and drug offenses.

BOSTON – A Stoneham woman was sentenced today in connection with her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance using stolen identities.

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to fraud, identity theft, firearm and drug offenses.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for using at least 40 stolen identities to fraudulently collect approximately $175,622 in unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).

BOSTON – A Charlestown man living under a false identity was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges arising from his use of the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved to date 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.

BOSTON – A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) was sentenced yesterday for conspiring to misuse her position in an effort to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds through fraudulent claims, including claims using identities she stole.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Defendant Millisen M. Martínez-Medina pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé to 13 counts of theft of government funds from the Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. She was charged in 12 separate cases regarding PUA fraud in April and October of 2021.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Daniel Joseph Tisone (34, Naples) with wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, illegal monetary transactions, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Tisone faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count (4 counts) and bank fraud count (6 counts), a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts), up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transaction...

BOSTON – A Stoneham man was sentenced today for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance using stolen personal information.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A North Providence man who lives and works in Rhode Island today admitted that he filed COVID-relief unemployment applications in at least two other states, collecting more than $20,000 in benefits he was not entitled to receive, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A North Providence man who lives and works in Rhode Island today admitted that he filed COVID-relief unemployment applications in at least two other states, collecting more than $20,000 in benefits he was not entitled to receive, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.