A Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining $34,801 or more in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds, while a resident of Leon, West Virginia.
Scott Christie, 38, of Petrolia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to theft of public money, property or records in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at Huntington.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 29, 2020, and August 22, 2020, and between February 27, 2021, and August 14, 2021, Christie fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits from WorkForce West Virginia, which administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia.
Christie submitted a total of 50 weekly certifications to WorkForce West Virginia that failed to disclose his employment during those time periods. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Christie received 52 unemployment benefits payments from WorkForce West Virginia totaling $34,801 or more that he was not entitled to receive.
The unemployment benefits fraudulently obtained by Christie included supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As part of his fraudulent scheme, Christie falsely stated in the weekly certifications he submitted that he was unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christie is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Christie also owes up to $34,801 in restitution.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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