Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for CARES Act Unemployment Fraud

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Alabama, dated May 14, 2025. On May 13, 2025, a federal judge sentenced Brandon Cody Carter of East Point, Georgia, to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a scheme to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims under the expanded CARES Act. According to court documents, between March and September 2020 Carter conspired with others to submit fraudulent claims to the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL), falsely claiming Alabama residency and using multiple aliases. Carter pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and admitted that ADOL disbursed $818,304 in fraudulent claims; restitution will be determined at a later date.

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PRESS RELEASE


East Point, Georgia Man Sentenced to
Federal Prison for CARES Act
Unemployment Fraud
Wednesday, May 14, 2025

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Alabama

MONTGOMERY, AL – On May 13, 2025, a federal judge sentenced Brandon Cody Carter,
36, of East Point, Georgia, to 78 months in prison for his role in a scheme to file
fraudulent unemployment insurance claims under the expanded Coronavirus Aid, Relief,
and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The announcement was made by Acting United
States Attorney Kevin Davidson and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst, of the
Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Following his
six-and-a-half-year term of imprisonment, Carter will serve three years on supervised
release. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.

Beginning in March 2020, the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response
Act expanded access to unemployment insurance programs to address the economic
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Alabama, eligible individuals could receive
enhanced benefits through the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL).

According to court documents and Carter’s plea agreement, between March and
September 2020, he conspired with others to submit fraudulent unemployment
insurance claims to ADOL. In doing so, Carter falsely claimed Alabama residency and
used multiple aliases, submitting fictitious names, birthdates, Social Security numbers,
and other fraudulent information. As a result of these false representations, ADOL issued
substantial payments to Carter through unemployment insurance debit cards and direct
deposits.

On January 23, 2025, Carter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. During
the plea hearing, he admitted his actions led ADOL to disburse $818,304 in fraudulent
claims. A restitution amount will be determined at a later date.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of defrauding programs intended to help those
truly in need during a national crisis,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson.
“Brandon Carter exploited a system designed to provide relief to families facing
unprecedented hardship. Our office remains committed to working with our law
enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute pandemic-related fraud wherever it
occurs.”

“Brandon Carter defrauded the Alabama Department of Labor by filing numerous false
claims for unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled. He enriched
himself by diverting taxpayer funds from a program that was intended to assist
unemployed American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,”
stated Special Agent in Charge Broadhurst. “We will continue to work closely with the
U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of
these critical benefit programs.”

The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Alabama Department of
Labor, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, Social Security Administration
Office of Inspector General, Alabama Department of Transportation, and Alabama Law
Enforcement Agency investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Joel
Feil prosecuted.

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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-
fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Updated May 14, 2025

Topics
DISASTER FRAUD

FINANCIAL FRAUD
Component
USAO - Alabama, Middle


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