Greenbelt, Maryland – Jerry Phillips, a/k/a ‘Tian Juzo,’ age 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 16, 2022, to a federal wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of a machine gun.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Serra, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG).
“Fraudsters like Jerry Phillips often commit other crimes, as demonstrated by his illegal possession of a ghost gun, which he modified to be a machine gun,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to use every legal means necessary to remove illegal guns from our communities and to hold criminals accountable.”
“Jerry Phillips conspired with his brother to defraud the UI, PPP, and EIDL pandemic relief programs of more than $750,000 in funds intended to assist those who were truly in need from the financial impact brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. “My office will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and our other law enforcement partners to pursue those who unwisely chose to commit pandemic-related UI fraud and hold them accountable for their criminal conduct.”
“During this pandemic, we have all too often seen people take advantage of programs meant to help those in need, stealing money away from those in crisis,” said Kareem A. Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Washington D.C. Field Office. “We will continue in our partnership with fellow federal agencies to investigate individuals who illegally use pandemic relief funds for personal financial gain.”
Jerry Phillips, a/k/a ‘Tian Juzo,’ 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the following charges: federal wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of a machine gun.
Jerry Phillips is set to be sentenced on July 25, 2022. As part of the scheme, Phillips admitted that he created and used multiple fake identities to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications and used the personal identifying information of more than 20 real people in furtherance of fraudulent unemployment claims. The fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loans and unemployment insurance claims were deposited into the bank accounts opened in the names of the fictitious business entities.
The scheme resulted in the loss of over $1 million in COVID-19 CARES Act loans and unemployment insurance benefits.
Phillips’ co-defendant, Jaleel Phillips, and at least one other person, were also involved in the scheme.
Jerry Phillips, a/k/a ‘Tian Juzo,’ 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the following charges: federal wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of a machine gun.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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