Demichael J. Peeples, Unemployment Benefits Fraud, Virginia 2024

A local gang member, Demichael J. Peeples, 27, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a pandemic unemployment benefits scam.

In a shocking turn of events, Peeples, a documented member of the '10K' street gang on the Peninsula, submitted multiple false unemployment claims with the Commonwealth of Virginia and State of California.

According to court documents, Peeples filed fraudulent claims for benefits for himself and on behalf of others, falsely representing their work history and that they lost their employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The defendant recruited individuals on social media to provide their personally identifying information, which he used to file fraudulent claims for benefits in their name.

In many cases, Peeples had the benefit payments delivered to his residence, where he kept the proceeds for himself.

This case was investigated under the leadership and coordination of the Newport News Financial Crimes Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Mack Coleman and Devon E.A. Heath prosecuted the case.

On March 2024, Peeples was evicted from a hotel room where police found a Glock semiautomatic firearm that had a preliminary match to a shooting that occurred earlier that same day.

Later in May 2024, police were dispatched to Peeples's residence after unknown individuals fired 19 rounds at him.

After pleading guilty, the Court revoked his bond and remanded him into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Peeples is a documented member of the '10K' street gang on the Peninsula and was on pretrial release when he used illegal drugs, failed to seek employment, did not report contact with law enforcement to his supervising probation officer, and otherwise failed to comply with his conditions of release.

Defendant: Demichael J. Peeples

Criminal Charges: Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Fraud

City and State: Hampton, Virginia

Exact Date: March 2024

Sentence or Outcome: 27 months in prison

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/hampton-gang-member-sentenced-pandemic-unemployment-fraud