Metro Atlanta Man Sentenced for Laundering Fraudulently Obtained COVID-19 Unemployment Funds (Press Release)

Summary

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, dated April 3, 2024, announcing that Austin Martin Siampwizi of Atlanta was sentenced on April 1, 2024 to three years, one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $279,210.52. Siampwizi pleaded guilty on December 14, 2023 to money laundering conspiracy. According to the release, Siampwizi laundered money from fraudulent unemployment claims submitted to the Employment Security Department of Washington State using stolen personally identifiable information of over 50 individuals. It states that Siampwizi also submitted fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program loan applications for Global Car Rental, LLC, and Global Group Development & Construction, LLC.

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PRESS RELEASE



Metro Atlanta Man Sentenced for
Laundering Fraudulently Obtained
COVID-19 Unemployment Funds
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia

ATLANTA - Austin Martin Siampwizi was sentenced on April 1, 2024, for laundering
money procured from fraudulent unemployment claims filed during the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

“Siampwizi laundered proceeds from fraudulent unemployment claims filed using the
stolen identities of more than 50 victims,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His
sentence of imprisonment is an example of our office’s commitment to work closely
with our federal and state law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for
defrauding the CARES Act program.”

“Austin Martin Siampwizi engaged in a scheme to purchase and subsequently cash
hundreds of money orders that were funded with fraudulently obtained unemployment
insurance (UI) benefits. The UI benefits were from fraudulent online claims submitted to
the Washington Employment Security Department using stolen identities. Today's
sentencing affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s
commitment to working with our federal and state law enforcement partners to
investigate identity theft involving the UI program,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special
Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector
General.

“The defendant chose to enrich himself by committing fraud, further depleting limited
funds that were designated to help businesses struggling to survive during the
pandemic,” said Robert C. Donovan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service
Atlanta Field Office. “This case signifies our commitment to protect citizens and
businesses from fraud and identity theft. We will continue to work closely with our local,
state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse these
programs.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in
court: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act created a
temporary federal program that provided up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits for
those unemployed as a result of the pandemic and included a provision to provide
temporary benefits to individuals who had exhausted their entitlement to regular
benefits or were otherwise not eligible. That temporary federal program was
administered by state employment agencies.

Siampwizi laundered money obtained from fraudulent unemployment claims submitted
to the Employment Security Department of Washington State. These claims were filed
using stolen personally identifiable information of over 50 individuals. Siampwizi also
submitted fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program
loan applications for his two businesses, Global Car Rental, LLC, and Global Group
Development & Construction, LLC.

Siampwizi, 47, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, one month in prison to
be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution
in the amount of $279,210.52. On December 14, 2023, Siampwizi pleaded guilty to
money laundering conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General,
and the U.S. Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Klapman prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement
Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with
agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-
related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most
culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with
administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting
and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and
techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing
information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information
on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please
visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can
report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud
(NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form
at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office
at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-
ndga.

Updated April 3, 2024

Topic
FINANCIAL FRAUD


Component
USAO - Georgia, Northern


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