Former Uniontown Man Sentenced to Prison for Conpsiring to Obtain PUA Benefits while Incarcerated

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania dated October 8, 2021, announcing that United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV sentenced Jamelle Fairfax, age 33, a former resident of Uniontown, to six months imprisonment and a two-year term of supervised release for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. The release states that while incarcerated at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Fayette, Fairfax conspired with another person to falsify material facts in a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) application filed in Fairfax's name, certifying availability to work and unemployment due only to COVID-19. The total paid on the claim was $11,100.00, and Fairfax was ordered to pay restitution for that amount.

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                                     Department of Justice
                                        U.S. Attorney’s Office
                                  Western District of Pennsylvania


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         Friday, October 8, 2021

Former Uniontown Man Sentenced to Prison for Conpsiring
       to Obtain PUA Benefits while Incarcerated
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal
court to six months imprisonment followed by a two-year term of supervised release on his
conviction of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, Acting United States
Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Jamelle Fairfax, age
33.

In order to combat the devastating impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the United States,
the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law. The CARES
Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program, which provided
unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or
extended unemployment benefits. Individuals are eligible for PUA if they were unemployed due to
the pandemic and could accept a job if one were offered.

While incarcerated at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Fayette, the defendant conspired to obtain
PUA benefits. Due to his incarceration, the defendant was unemployed and unemployable for
reasons unrelated to the pandemic. Nevertheless, the defendant’s jail call recordings prove that he
conspired with another to falsify material facts in a PUA application filed in the defendant’s name.
Specifically, the conspirators certified that Jamelle Fairfax was available to work and was only
unemployed due to COVID-19. The total amount paid on the claim was $11,100.00, which was
money allocated to individuals in need of financial assistance during the global pandemic. The
defendant was ordered to pay restitution for this amount.

“Jamelle Fairfax conspired to defraud the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program by having
his co-conspirator fraudulently file for and receive benefits on his behalf while Fairfax was
incarcerated at SCI Fayette. The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is
grateful for our partnerships with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and our many law
enforcement partners. We also want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continued efforts to
prosecute those who violate public benefit programs and commit fraud,” stated Syreeta Scott, Special
Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the
government.

Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the United States Department of Labor – Office
of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service for the investigation leading to the
successful prosecution of Fairfax.
Topic(s):                                             Component(s):
Coronavirus                                           USAO - Pennsylvania, Western


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