Related Federal Cases
- Western Union Scam · Washington
- New Jersey Man Charged in Bait-and-Switch Coin Scam · Pennsylvania
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Washington
- Amgen Inc. $71M Settlement · Washington
Tennessee Man Arrested for $7,319 Veterans’ Unemployment Benefit Scam
HARRISBURG, PA – Earl Lafayete Hall, III, a 35-year-old man from Arlington, Tennessee, has been arrested and charged with 12 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of money laundering for stealing $7,319 in veterans’ unemployment benefits from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, Hall applied for veterans’ unemployment compensation benefits under a false name and identity, using the identity of another individual. The bogus application was submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry in Harrisburg, and Hall received 12 unemployment compensation benefit checks totaling $7,319 between July and November of 2014.
The checks were deposited into a bank account controlled by Hall in Illinois, and $4,900 in cash was removed from the account. The cash withdrawals are the basis of the money laundering counts in the indictment.
Hall also faces one count of aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed yesterday following Hall’s arrest by federal agents in Arlington.
Hall appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Memphis, Tennessee, for a bail hearing and was released on a $5,000 unsecured bail.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering & Fraud Investigations, U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Internal Audits Division, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Office of Unemployment Compensation Benefits and Policy, and the Pennsylvania Department of the Treasury, Office of Unemployment Compensation Disbursements.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News