Jury Convicts Canadian Citizen of Pandemic Fraud

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York, dated May 23, 2025. Joseph Osei, a Canadian citizen formerly of Albany, was convicted following a five-day jury trial of four counts of mail fraud, one count of access device fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft for fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities. The trial evidence showed that from August 2020 through November 2020 Osei obtained benefits from the New York State Department of Labor worth more than $100,000, and evidence also covered schemes against California, Rhode Island, and Arizona workforce agencies. Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025; the mail fraud convictions carry a maximum of 20 years in prison.

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PRESS RELEASE


Jury Convicts Canadian Citizen of
Pandemic Fraud
Friday, May 23, 2025

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

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joseph Osei, a/k/a/ “Kynjo,” age 30, a Canadian citizen formerly
of Albany, was convicted today following a five-day jury trial of four counts of mail
fraud, one count of access device fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft for
fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits
using stolen identities. Jurors deliberated for less than 2 hours before returning a guilty
verdict on all counts.

United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the
Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Erin Keegan,
Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations
(HSI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States
Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), made the
announcement.

The trial evidence showed that from August 2020 through November 2020, Osei
fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State
Department of Labor worth more than $100,000. Additional evidence also included
Osei’s schemes to defraud the state workforce agencies of California, Rhode Island, and
Arizona using stolen identities to apply for and obtain pandemic unemployment
insurance benefits.

U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Joseph Osei stole real people’s identities to
illegally exploit lifeline programs set up to help Americans during the pandemic. Osei
worked hard to commit unemployment fraud, and federal and state investigators
worked even harder to uncover his scheme, culminating in today’s quick guilty verdict.
Today’s result marks more than 45 convictions of pandemic fraudsters that my office has
obtained with its law enforcement partners.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The pandemic relief programs were
created as lifelines during an unprecedented period in our history. The actions of the
defendant not only diverted funds from those in need but also victimized unsuspecting
people by stealing their personal identifying information. The U.S. Postal Inspection
Service will relentlessly pursue those who misuse the mail for fraud and bring them to
justice.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “HSI Albany is proud to have played a role
in ensuring Joseph Osei faces the consequences of his egregious crimes. Together with
our local, state and federal partners, New Yorkers’ well-being will always be our
foremost priority.”

Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025. The mail fraud convictions carry a
maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised
release of up to 3 years. The access device fraud conviction carries a maximum term of
imprisonment of up to 15 years. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a
mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutively to any other term of
imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular
statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and
other factors.

This case was investigated by USPIS, HSI, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from U.S.
Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the New York State
Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.

Updated May 23, 2025

Topics
CORONAVIRUS

FINANCIAL FRAUD

IDENTITY THEFT
Component
USAO - New York, Northern


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