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Allen Park Tax Preparer Arrested in Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

Summary

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan dated Thursday, May 6, 2021, announcing the arrest of an Allen Park resident on a federal criminal complaint. It states that Christopher Dominic Niebel, 43, of Allen Park, Michigan, is charged with obtaining CARES Act unemployment benefits by false pretenses, using the personally identifiable information of others. According to the supporting affidavit, Niebel was responsible for or associated with over 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance accounts through which the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency paid approximately $849,000.00 from March through August 2020. The affidavit also relates that Niebel represented being a tax preparer under the name "Tax Guy Chris", and the release states that a complaint is only a charge.

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“Allen Park Tax Preparer Arrested in Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment Benefits.” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-05-12-allen-park-tax-preparer-arrested-in-scheme-to-obtain-pandem-0665c496d5/, SHA-256 a0f7885b2ee6dd17eb3185ef765e34bad6d8c92f3d298304676e9136043548c0.

Full text

                                      Department of Justice
                                         U.S. Attorney’s Office
                                     Eastern District of Michigan


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           Thursday, May 6, 2021

     Allen Park Tax Preparer Arrested in Scheme to Obtain
              Pandemic Unemployment Benefits
An Allen Park resident was arrested today in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging
him with obtaining unemployment benefits authorized by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security (CARES) Act by means of false and fraudulent pretenses and representations, by
using the personally identifiable information of others that he had unlawfully obtained, announced
Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin.

Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Irene Lindow, U.S. Department of
Labor’s Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, IRS-Criminal Investigation,
Special Agent in Charge Douglas Zloto, U.S. Secret Service, and Acting Director Liza Estlund Olson,
Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA).

Charged in the criminal complaint is Christopher Dominic Niebel, 43, of

Allen Park, Michigan. The affidavit supporting the complaint states that Niebel was responsible for
or associated with over 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance accounts. The total amount of
unemployment benefits paid through those fraudulent accounts by the Michigan Unemployment
Insurance Agency (UIA) from March through August 2020 was approximately $849,000.00. Niebel
was the accountholder on at least 28 of the bank accounts to which the unemployment benefits were
electronically transferred. These benefits included regular unemployment benefits but were mostly
pandemic-related unemployment benefits provided through the CARES Act.

The complaint affidavit also relates that Niebel held himself out as a tax preparer under the name
“Tax Guy Chris” with an office in Allen Park.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a
complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a
felony indictment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hiyama. The investigation
is being conducted jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, IRS-
Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Michigan UIA.
Topic(s):                                               Component(s):
Coronavirus                                             USAO - Michigan, Eastern

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