Samuel George Baker, Pandemic Relief Fund Theft, MI 2024

A Southfield man is accused of ripping off pandemic relief funds in a brazen, multi-state unemployment insurance scam that netted over $187,000 in stolen benefits. Samuel George Baker, 37, was named in a federal criminal complaint filed this week, alleging he orchestrated a scheme targeting jobless aid programs in Michigan and Pennsylvania at the height of the COVID-19 crisis.

According to the complaint, Baker submitted dozens of fraudulent unemployment claims in Pennsylvania using stolen identities, funneling more than $150,000 in benefits to himself. He directed payments to be loaded onto debit cards and mailed to addresses across Michigan. From July 2020 on, Baker allegedly made near-daily cash withdrawals using multiple cards—moving like a ghost through ATMs to bleed the system dry.

The scheme didn’t stop there. In May 2020, Baker filed phony unemployment claims in Michigan, using fake driver’s licenses and false Social Security numbers. Investigators have already tied him to over $37,000 in unlawful Michigan benefits, with the probe still ongoing. Authorities say the fraud took place while thousands of real jobless workers waited weeks for their rightful aid.

Baker didn’t just pocket the cash—he flaunted it. Prosecutors allege he used proceeds from the scam to buy a $45,000 Rolex watch, a rare luxury piece that now stands as a trophy of theft during one of the nation’s most vulnerable economic periods. The purchase reeks of arrogance, investigators say, a middle finger to struggling families.

“At a time when thousands of people are out of work because of the pandemic, Samuel Baker is charged with stealing unemployment benefits that should have gone to Michiganders trying to feed their families. Anyone who steals unemployment funds steals from the people of Michigan,” said United States Attorney Matthew Schneider, vowing accountability.

The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Particka, with investigation led jointly by the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and Bloomfield Township Police Department. A complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. No trial can be held on felony charges until a potential indictment is returned. For now, Baker’s name is in the crosshairs of federal justice.