Caregiver Steals Disabled Clients’ Identities for $90K Fraud

A caregiver entrusted with the well-being of intellectually disabled adults has been arrested for exploiting their personal information to steal nearly $90,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits. Nelson Fornah, 35, of Darby, Pennsylvania, allegedly used the stolen identities of seven vulnerable clients across Delaware and Montgomery Counties to fraudulently obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds, authorities announced today.

According to the 47th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, Fornah began filing false claims in July 2020, using victims’ names, Social Security numbers, and other identifying data. Though he created fake email addresses in their names, he listed his own phone number on each application. Once the state issued U.S. Bank debit cards loaded with PUA funds, Fornah quickly drained the accounts through ATM withdrawals and purchases at local retailers.

When the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry flagged the suspicious claims in December 2020, officials requested identity verification via ID.me, a video-based authentication service. Grand jury investigators reviewed recorded sessions and found disturbing evidence: victims appeared on camera but were visibly confused, incoherent, or distressed, while an off-camera voice—believed to be Fornah’s—spoke for them and held identification up to the screen.

Fornah didn’t stop at stealing from his clients. He also applied for PUA benefits using his own information, despite remaining fully employed throughout the pandemic. After that claim was denied, he lied about his employment status to secure traditional unemployment compensation, collecting over $14,000 in illicit payments. He even attempted to use his clients’ stolen identities to file for unemployment benefits in New Jersey.

The investigation was led by the Office of the Attorney General with support from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case is now being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Megan Madaffari.

At the grand jury’s recommendation, Fornah faces charges including Identity Theft, Dealing in Proceeds of Unlawful Activity, Unlawful Use of a Computer, Criminal Use of a Communications Facility, Access Device Fraud, Tampering with Public Records, Theft by Deception, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Theft by Deception. The charges underscore a brazen betrayal of trust by a man hired to protect some of society’s most vulnerable.