William Cordor, Unemployment and Loan Fraud, Massachusetts 2020

A 26-year-old Leicester man, William Cordor, pleaded guilty to unemployment and loan fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cordor, who was initially indicted on April 1, 2021, and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment with co-conspirator Destinee Snay on July 12, 2021, engaged in a fraudulent unemployment scheme by attempting to file numerous claims for unemployment with the State of Nevada between May and October 2020.

Cordor used the names, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifying information of third parties for whom he had no legal authority to file such claims. The State of Nevada ultimately detected that the claims were fraudulent and did not approve the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds.

In addition to the unemployment scheme, Cordor also engaged in a second wire fraud scheme using stolen identities to fraudulently apply for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster loans made available by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Cordor used a third party’s personal identifying information to obtain a loan from the SBA under false pretenses, and then used the fraudulent funds for his own enrichment, including to pay for plane tickets, hotel accommodations, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping during a Florida vacation.

Cordor also agreed to surrender to federal authorities the balance of $79,000 in his bank account that were proceeds of a separate unemployment fraud scheme in Massachusetts in May 2020, before filing the fraudulent unemployment claim with Nevada in July 2020.

The charges against Cordor include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to another sentence imposed, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Danial Bennett are prosecuting the case. Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, and Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today.

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