Court filing
Docket 1:24-cr-00017-RSB-PMS-1 — Doc 3-0
Filed May 21, 2024 in United States v. Josef Ludwig Brown; one of 4 filings from this case.
Record facts
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia |
|---|---|
| Filed | 2024-05-21 |
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia · No. 1:24-cr-00017-RSB-PMS · Doc. 3 · 2024-05-21 · Docket on CourtListener
Full text
CLERK'S OFFICE U.S. DISTRICT COURT
AT ABINGDON, VA
FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
ABINGDON DIVISION
MAY 2 1 2024
. ~'ff!Jjl'Jbfn~RK
BY."U,_a
DEPUTY CLERK
UNITED STATES OF.AMERICA
v.
JOSEF LUDWIG BROWN
CRYSTAL SAMANTHA SHAW
JONATHAN SCOTT WEBB
CHRISTOPHER KIRK WEBB
STEPHANIE AMBER BARTON
HALEIGH MCKENZIE WOLFE
TERRENCEBROOKSVILACHA
CARA CAMILLE BAILEY
JESSICA DAWN LESTER
BRIAN EDWARD ADDAIR
RUSSELL ERIC STILTNER
JOSEPH FREDERICK HASS
DANIEL WAYNE HORTON
JUSTIN WARREN MEADOWS
JASON DALE WORLEY
JERAMY BLAKE FARMER
CLINTON MICHAEL ALTIZER
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INDICTMENT
INTRODUCTION
~
The Grand Jury charges that:
Case No. /:,2L/,c.,- 11
Violations:
18 u.s.c. § 371
18 U.S.C. § 1040(a)
1
18 u.s.c. § 1349
CARES Act and Pandemic Unemployment Benefits
1. Unemployment Insurance (UI) is a state-federal program that provides
monetary benefits to eligible lawful workers. Although state workforce agencies
administer their respective UI programs, they must do so in accordance with federal laws
and regulations. UI payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial
assistance to lawful workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Each
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state sets its own additional requirements for eligibility, benefit amounts, and length of
time benefi~s can be paid. Gener~lly, UI weekly benefit amounts are based on a
percentage of e·amings over a base period. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the
Virginia Employment Commission ("VEC") administers the UI program.
2. On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the ongoing
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic to be an emergency under §501(b) of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C §§ 5121-
5207). •
3. On March 18, 2020, the President signed the Families First Coronavirus
Response Act ("FFCRA") into law. The FFCRA provided additional .flexibility for state
UI agencies and additional administrative funding to respond to the COVID-19
pandemic. Then, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act
was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act expanded states' ability to •
provide assistance to many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who
are not ordinarily eligible for UI benefits. The CARES Act provided for three new
temporary UI programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ("PUA"),
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensations ("PEUC"), and Federal Pandemic
Unemployment Compensation ("FPUC").
4. The first program, PUA, provided for up to 39 weeks of benefits to individuals
who are: (I) self-employed, seeking part-time employment, or otherwise would not
qualify for regular UI or extended benefits under state or federal law or PEUC under
section 2107 of the CARES Act; and (2) unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to
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work, or unavailable to work due to specific COVID-19 related reasons(s). Coverage
' includes individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular UC or extended benefits
under state or federal law or under PEUC. Under the PUA provisions of the CARES Act,
a person who is a business owner, self-employed worker, independent contractor, or gig
worker can qualify for pandemic unemployment benefits administered by the VEC if
he/she previously performed such work in Virginia and is unemployed, partially
unemployed, unable to work, or unavailable to work due to a COVID-19 related reason.
PUA claimants must answer specific questions to establish their eligibility for PUA
benefits. Claimants must provide their name, Social Security Number, and mailing
address and self-certify that they meet one of the CO VID-19 related reasons for being
unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work. Initially, the
eligible timeframe to receive PUA was from weeks of employment beginning on or after
January 27, 2020, through December 31, 2020. The second program, PEUC, initially
provided for up to 13 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount to individuals
who ha~e exhausted regular UI under state or federal law, have no rights to regular UI
under any other state or federal law, are not receiving UI under the UI laws of Canada,
and are able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work. However, states
must offer flexibility in meeting the."actively seeking work" requirement if individuals
are unable to search for work because of COVID-19, including because of illness,
quarantine, or movement restriction. The eligible timeframe to receive PEUC was from
weeks of unemployment beginning after the respective state has an established agreement
with the federal government through December 31, 2020. The earliest being April 5,
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2020.
5. The third program, FPUC, provide individuals who were collecting regular UI,
PEUC, PUA, and several other forms of benefits with an additional $600 per week. The
eligible timeframe to receive FPUC was from weeks of unemployment beginning after·
April 5, 2020, or the date the respective state had an established agreement with the
federal government, whichever was later, through July 31, 2020.
6. On August 8, 2020, after FPUC expired, the President signed a Presidential
Memorandum author.izing FEMA to use disaster relief funds pursuant to Section 408,
Other Needs Assistance, of the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,
42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207, to provide supplemental payments,for lost wages to help ease
the financial burden on individuals who were unemployed as a result of COVID-19. The
"Lost Wages Assistance Program" ("L W AP") served as a temporary measure to provide
an additional $300 per week via a total of$44 billion in FEMA funds. The period of
assistance for LWAP was August 1, 2020,. to December 27, 2020, or termination of the
program, whichever was sooner.
7. Then, on December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021-an
omnibus spending bill that included an estimated additional $200 billion in funding for
pandemic related UI programs-was signed into law. Through a section titled the
Continued Assi.stance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 ("Continued Assistance
. Act"), Congress extended and modified the three temporary UI programs created by the
CARES Act and created a new benefit program.
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8. The Continued Assistance Act increased the duration and availability of both
PEUC, which p~ovides benefits to individuals who have exhausted their state
unemployment benefits, and PUA, which provides unemployment compensation to
independent contractors and others unable to access traditional UI benefits. Specifically,
the Continued Assistance Act extended PEUC and PUA through March 14, 2021.
Additionally, the duration of PUA benefits for eligible individuals was effectively
extended from 39 weeks under the CARES Act to a total of 50 weeks; the amount of
PEUC benefits for eligible individuals was extended from-13 to 24 times the individual's
, average weekly benefit amount. FPUC was reauthorized at a lesser amount of $300 per
week for weeks of unemployment beginning after December 26, 2020,- through March
14, 2021. FPUC benefits remain unavailable for the gap between its expiration in the
CARES Act (July 31, 2020) and its reauthorization in the Continued Assistance Act
(December 26, 2020).
9. On March 11, 2021, as the relief benefits authorized by the Continued
Assistance Act were about to expire, the President signed the American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021, which included an estimated $203 billion in additional relief, including
reauthorization of PUA, FPUC, PEUC, and MEUC. Under the Americ'an Rescue Plan
Act, PUA and PEUC were extended, without interruption, to weeks of unemployment
ending on or before September 6, 2021, thereby allowing eligible individuals to collect
PUA and PEUC benefits for an additional 29 weeks (79 weeks total for PUA and 53
times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for PEUC). However, there are 25
weeks between the w:eek ending March 13, 2021, and the last payable week of September
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4, 2021,,making it unlikely that individuals would exhaust their full entitlement before
the two programs expire. Additionally, the $300 FPUC benefit was extended through
September 6, 2021.
IO.According to data maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor-Employment
and Training Administration, SW As requested and received approximately $427 billion
in CARES Act funding related to PUA, FPUC~ and PEUC benefit payments. In total, it is
estimated that as of September 2021, the federal government's response to the COVID-
19 pandemic will have included approximately $872.5 billion in pandemic related UI
funding for state welfare agencies ("SW A") to _administer for individuals who have been
impacted by COVID-19.
11. Regardless of which of the three programs described above was involved ( that
'
is, whether PUA, PEUC, or FPUC), funds were distributed to program participants by
I
VEC. These funds were received by VEC from the United States Department of the
Treasury (Treasury) through Treasury's program entitled Automated Standard
Application for Payments, commonly referred to as "ASAP." ASAP is an electronic
system that federal agencies use to securely transfer money to reciptent organizations.
Federal agencies enroll recipient or'ganizatioris, authorize their payments, and manage
their accounts. Recipient organizations then request payments from these pre-authorized
accounts. Recipient organizations may include state and local governments, educational
and financial institutions, vendors and contractors, profit and non-profit entities, and
Indian tribal organizations. ASAP is free for both federal agencies and recipient
organizations.
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12. The PUA, FPUC, and LW AP programs (collectively, "pandemic
unemployment benefits") are administered by the various states, including the
Commonwealth of Virginia, but their benefits are funded by' the federal government. In
,,
order to receive pandemic benefits, an applicant must access a website maintained and
administered by the VEC and file a claim. Separate claims are not filed for PUA, FPUC,
and L W AP. Rather, a single claim for PUA, if approved, results in an approved claim for
the additional FPUC and L W AP benefits as well.
13. Individuals are only eligible for pandemic unemployment benefits if they are
unemployed for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic and are otherwise available
to work and are seeking employment.
14. To apply for pandemic unemployment benefits via the VEC website, the
applicant is required to enter Personally Identifiable Information ("PII") including name,
date of birth, Social Security Number, email address, phone number, and physical
address. An applicant is then required to answer a series of questions to determine
eligibility and payment amount. An applicant must then attest, under penalty of perjury,
that the information provided in the claim application is true and accurate.
15. Upon completion, the application is submitted to the VEC. If approved, the
applicant can choose whether to have the pandemic unemployment benefits deposited
'
directly into a bank account of the applicant's choosing, or the funds can be loaded on a
pre-paid debit card which is then shipped to the applicant via United States Postal Service
to the address listed on the application.
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16. The recipient of pandemic unemployment benefits receives a unique Personal
Identification Number ("PIN") to access the VEC each week to recertify their
unemployment status. Payments for pandemic unemployment benefits are based on a
seven-day period, from Sunday through Saturday. Thus, the benefits' recip~ent must
.
..
certify every seven days that the recipient: was ready, willing and able to work each day; '
was seeking full time employment; did not refuse any job offers or referrals; and had
j
·reported any employment during the week-and the gross pay or other payments received.
17. The Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority - Haysi is located in Haysi,
Virginia, in the Western District of Virginia.
18. Tazewell County, Virginia, is in the Western District of Virginia.
The Scheme
19. In March 2020, Josef Ludwig BROWN ("BROWN"), Jonathan Scott WEBB
("JONATHAN SCOTT WEBB or J. WEBB"), and Crystal Saman~ha SHAW ("SHAW")
developed a scheme and artifice to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment
benefits via the VEC website. The scheme and artifice was to submit claims for each co-
conspirator, eachjneligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, by making
materially false representations including, but not limited to: the applicant was
unemployed as a result of COVID-19 and the applicant was ready, willing, and able to
work each day.
20. Because pandemic unemployment benefits were paid on a weekly basis, the
scheme was a continuing scheme whereby SHAW and her co-conspirators agreed and
conspired to file weekly recertifications for the claims they submitted. In so doing,
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SHAW reverified and recertified the same materially false representations and pretenses
as stated above for each claim submitted, on numerous occasions over the course of the
conspiracy.
21. Co-conspirators fall into two general categories: 1) inmates at the SWVRJA-
Haysi who passed on PII to SHAW by BROWN and J. WEBB so that SHAW could file
fraudulent claims; and 2) personal friends or acquaintances of BROWN, SHAW, and/or
J. WEBB who provided their PII so that SHAW could file their fraudulent claims
22. Co-conspirators did numerous acts, including, but not limited to, the following
acts:
a. At the time the scheme was devised, BROWN was incarcerated at the
Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority - Haysi (SWVRJA-Haysi). BROWN
provided his PII to SHAW via email and telephone for the purpose of filing a fraudulent
claim. SHAW then filed a fraudulent claim on behalf of BROWN.
b. In furtherance of the scheme, BROWN obtained PII of incarcerated co-
'
conspirators at SWVRJA-Haysi and provided their PII to SHAW to _submit fraudulent
claims or fraudulent recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits on their behalf.
c. Co-conspirators who were not incarcerated at the time of their filing
provided their PII to SHAW, BROWN, and/or J. WEBB for the purpose of filing their
fraudulent claims.
d. Some co-conspirators filed their initial claims prior to incarceration,
but, once incarcerated, provided their PII to SHAW in order for her to fraudulently file
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• VEC claim recertifications concerning their eligibility to work. These individuals were
ineligible to file pandemic unemployment claims during periods of incarceration.
e. Each co-conspirator listed in this indictment conveyed his/her PII to
SHAW, directly or indirectly through other co-conspirators, for the purpose of filing a
fraudulent claim for pandemic unemployment benefits. With the assistance of the co-
conspirators listed herein, SHAW filed at least 21 fraudulent claims or recertifications of
eligibility for pandemic unemployment benefits.
f. In filing the fraudulent claims, SHAW used the same address of the
residence in which she lived: 220 Bellwood Road, Raven, VA 24639, for 11 of the co-
.
\
conspirators' applications, ensuring pre-paid debit cards used to disburse pandemic
• unemployment benefit payments were sent to SHAW. SHAW also utilized the address of
BROWN, 155 Dark Hollow Road, North Tazewell, VA 24630, for at least 4 of the co-
conspirators' applications; at that time, BROWN was incarcerated at SWVRJA-Haysi
and did riot have access to collect any mail generated as a result of the fraudulent claims
or recertifications.
g. Once claims were approved, the VEC mailed via United States Postal
Service monetary determination letters, Personal Identification Number (PIN) codes, and
pre-paid debit cards in all co-conspirators' .names to the Bellwood Road and Dark Hollow
Road addresses, in addition to other addresses where the ~o-conspirators previously
resided, as listed on the applications.
h. In order to continue receiving weekly pandemic unemployment benefits,
SHAW made subsequent weekly recertifications on the respective co-conspirator's
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behalf. SHAW filed claims by electronically accessing the VEC website'from her
computer while at home in Tazewell, VA, or via telephone communication directly with
the VEC.
COUNT ONE
(18 U.S.C § 371 - Coiispiracy to Defraud the United States)
The Grand Jury charges that:
1. The information in the Introductio.n is realleged and incorporated by reference.
2. Between on or about March 15, 2020, and on or about September 30, 2021, in
the Western District of Virginia and elsewhere, JOSEF LUDWIG BROWN,
CRYSTAL SAMANTHA SHAW, JONATHAN SCOTT WEBB, CHRISTOPHER
KIRK WEBB, STEPHANIE AMBER BARTON, TERRENCE BROOKS
VILACHA, IJALEIGH MCKENZIE WOLFE, CARA CAMILLE BAILEY;
JESSICA DAWN LESTER, 'BRIAN EDWARD ADDAIR, RUSSELL ERIC
STILTNER, JOSEPH FREDERICK HASS, DANIEL WAYNE HORTON, JUSTIN
WARREN MEADOWS, JASON DALE WORLEY, JERAMY BLAKE FARMER,
CLINTON MICHAEL ALTIZER, and others knowingly and willfully conspired to (1)
defraud the United States and (2) commit an offense against the United States, to wit: file
/
fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits as authorized by, and
administered through federal law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, §1040(a),
such benefits being authorized, paid, and disbursed in connection with the Coronavirus
\
Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, an emergency declaration under §501 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 5191).
11
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3. It was a part of the conspiracy that the named co-conspirators provided PII for
the purpose of filing fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits in order to
,
receive funds to which they were not entitled.
4. To effect the object of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators did several acts,
including but not limited to those acts described in the Introduction to this Indictment.
5. All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
COUNTS TWO THROUGH EIGHTEEN
(18 U.S.C § 1040(a)- Fraud in Connection with Emergency Benefits)
The Grand Jury charges that:
1. The information in the Introduction is realleged and incorporated by reference.
2. On or about the dates detailed below, in the Western District of Virginia and ·
elsewhere, the individuals listed below, as principals, aiders, and abettors, knmlingly
made and caused to be made materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and
representations on claim applications for pandemic unemployment benefits that were
authorized, paid, and disbursed in connection with an emergency declaration under §501
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
§ 5191).
Count
Name
Date Filed
·Claim Paid
2
JOSEF LUDWIG BROWN
July 16, 2020
$28,696.00
3
CRYSTAL SAMANTHA SHAW
March 30, 2020
$34,650.00
4
JONATHAN SCOTT WEBB
May 6, 2020
$32,589.00
5
CHRISTOPHER KIRK WEBB
May 12, 2020
$19,678.00
6
STEPHANIE AMBER BARTON
April 30, 2020
$30,070.00
12
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Count
Name
Date Filed
Claim Paid
7
HALEIGH MCKENZIE WOLFE
October 5, 2020
$13,978.00
8
TERRENCEBROOKSVILACHA September 28, 2020 $14,894.00
9
CARA CAMILLE BAILEY
July 16, 2020
$26,406.00
10
JESSICA DAWN LESTER
July 3, 2020
$22,284.00
11
- BRIAN EDWARD Al)DAIR
June 12, 2020
$22,284.00
12
RUSSELL ERIC STILTNER
June 22, 2021
$16,898.00
13
JOSEPH FREDERICK HASS
July 1, 2020
$19,316.00
14
DANIEL WAYNE HORTON
August 20, 2020
$17,784.00
15
JUSTIN WARREN MEADOWS
July 12, 2020
$13,202.00
16
JASON DALE WORLEY
July 25, 2020
$9,698.00.
17
JERAMY BLAKE FARMER
January 30, 2021
$7,786.00
18
CLINTON MICHAEL ALTIZER
July 22, 2020
$10,992.00
3. The materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations,
to wit: that the claimant (1) had been employed at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak;<
(2) was unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) was available to
work and was actively seeking employment, were made in a circumstance involving a
,
benefit transported ·in the mail at any point in the authorization, transportation,
transmission, transfer, disbursement, and payment of such benefit.
4. All in violation of Title 18, l!nited States Code, Sections 2 and 1040(a)(2).
COUNT NINETEEN
(18 U.S.C § 1349 - Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud)
The Grand Jury charges that:
/
1. The information in the Introduction is realleged and incorporated by reference.
13
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2. On or about and between March 30, 2020, and September 30, 2021, in the
Western Dis!rict of Virginia and elsewhere, JOSEF LUDWIG BROWN, CRYSTAL
SAMANTHA SHAW, JONATHAN SCOTT WEBB, CHRISTOPHER KIRK
.
WEBB, STEPHANIE AMBER BARTON, TERRENCE BROOKS VILACHA,
HALEIGH MCKENZIE WOLFE, CARA CAMILLE BAILEY, JESSICA DAWN
LESTER, BRIAN EDWARD ADDAIR, RUSSELL ERIC STILTNER, JOSEPH,
FREDERICK HASS, DANIEL WAYNE HORTON, JUSTIN WARREN
MEADOWS, JASON DALE WORLEY, JERAMY BLAKE FARMER, CLINTON
MICHAEL ALTIZER, and others, as principals, aiders, and abettors, knowingly
conspired to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud, and for obtaining money by means
of false and fraudulent pretenses and representations, and for the purpose of executing
such scheme causing to be delivered by mail according to the direction thereon any
matter or thing, to wit: monetary determination letters, and PIN codes, among other
items, such matter or thing pertaining to benefits that were authorized, paid, and
disbursed in connection with an emergency declaration under §501 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 5191), in violation
of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341.
3. All in violation ofTitle 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
A TRUE BILL, this
,2 /
day of May, 2024.
~~~-J&w ~ Pt>5
/s/ Grand Jury Foreperson
United States Attorney
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