GREENBELT, MD – In a stunning blow to COVID-19 unemployment fraudsters, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced 27-year-old Alonzo Brown from Richmond, Virginia, to 45 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that swindled over $300,000 from Maryland’s Department of Labor and California’s Employment Development Department.
Brown was also ordered to pay $310,428.08 in restitution to the victims and to forfeit all assets gained from the crime, including the money judgment. His sentence includes a mandatory three years of supervised release after his prison term.
The fraud, which spanned from June 2020 to March 2021, was a sophisticated operation that used personal information from over 60 individuals to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in both Maryland and California. Brown conspired with Michael Cooley, 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Isiah Lewis, 35, also from Prince George’s County, to execute the scam.
Cooley was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison earlier this year for his involvement in the scheme. This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, which has been tasked with investigating and prosecuting large-scale pandemic relief fraud across the nation.
The strike force, established by the U.S. Department of Justice, focuses on multi-state schemes perpetuated by criminal organizations. It employs a team approach that leverages both prosecutors and data analysts to identify and prosecute those who stole funds intended for Americans suffering economic hardship due to the pandemic.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their diligent work in this investigation, thanking Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim for their prosecution of the case. For more information on reporting unemployment fraud or accessing resources, the public is encouraged to visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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