Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today that financial crimes agents from the Office of Attorney General, in coordination with federal and local law enforcement, arrested five individuals for allegedly conspiring to provide false information in an attempt to illegally obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. Three targets are expected to be charged within the next week and one remains at large.
“This program was designed to help people get back on their feet after the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AG Josh Shapiro. “These defendants instead targeted Pennsylvania’s program to rip off our residents and took advantage of the public health emergency to cash in. We will continue to work with our partners to hold these scammers accountable to the law, and ensure that our unemployment benefits are going to those that need them.”
“When fraud schemes affect public funds – as this one allegedly did – the FBI will work in any capacity, across any platform or jurisdiction, when asked to support the effort to investigate, capture, and prosecute scammers,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. “The message should be clear – if you defraud the government and, by extension, your fellow citizens for your own personal gain, don’t be surprised when the FBI is knocking on your door.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations involving unemployment insurance fraud. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The alleged co-conspirators are believed to have filed 145 false applications, many of which using a Chester address, that resulted in $925,273 in allegedly false unemployment claims, $455,513 of which was paid out to these defendants.
To date, the Office of Attorney General has charged 44 individuals, including 24 inmates and their accomplices, across the Commonwealth for submitting fraudulent PUA applications amounting to more than $4 million in fraudulent PUA funds.
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