GREENBELT, MD – In a grim turn of events, 27-year-old Alonzo Brown from Richmond, Virginia, faced federal justice for his pivotal role in a $800,000 unemployment insurance fraud scheme that targeted the Maryland Department of Labor and California Employment Development Department. Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Brown to 45 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Brown was also ordered to pay $310,428.08 in restitution and forfeit all proceeds from the scheme. The sentencing follows a guilty plea entered earlier this year, where Brown confessed his involvement in a conspiracy with Michael Cooley, 26, and Isiah Lewis, 35, both of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The trio executed a sophisticated fraud plan that netted over $300,000 by using personal identifiable information from more than 60 individuals to file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications. They employed anonymous email addresses to mask their identities throughout the operation.
Griggsby had previously sentenced Cooley to 87 months in federal prison for his part in the scheme. This case is a critical component of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, which targets large-scale pandemic relief fraud.
The strike force, one of five nationwide established by the U.S. Department of Justice, focuses on multi-state fraud cases involving criminal organizations and transnational actors. The interagency effort combines prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and prosecute those who stole pandemic relief funds.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) for their role in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim are prosecuting this case, with Joanna B.N. Huber providing support.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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