Pandemic Scam

⏱ 2 min read

Ardavan Alamoutinia, 33, of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a pandemic unemployment assistance scheme that bilked the government out of nearly $2.9 million. Alamoutinia and co-defendant Aryanah Davison, 26, of Harrisburg, used stolen identities to file over 500 fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in 27 different states. The scheme, which was uncovered in May 2023, involved the use of at least 375 stolen identities of current or former employees of a company.

The two co-defendants filed, or caused to be filed, the fraudulent PUA applications, resulting in a loss to the government of at least $2,886,876. They then converted at least $2,500,000 of the fraudulent proceeds, spending them on a luxury sports vehicle and hundreds of thousands of dollars of cryptocurrency.

Alamoutinia is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum possible term of 232 years’ imprisonment. Davison will be sentenced at a later date and also faces a maximum possible term of 232 years in prison. The case was investigated by multiple agencies, including the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

The guilty plea is a significant victory for law enforcement, who have been working to crack down on pandemic-related scams. The case highlights the importance of protecting sensitive information, such as personally identifiable information (PII), and the need for vigilance in detecting and preventing fraudulent schemes.