Dunkirk man pleads guilty to theft of government funds

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York, dated March 20, 2026. Lamont Brown pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to theft of government funds, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The release says Brown recruited others to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) compensation for which they were not entitled, and that in July 2020 Brown personally received a check totaling $10,122.00 from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources. It gives the total loss to that department as $67,524 and sets sentencing for August 5, 2026.

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“Dunkirk man pleads guilty to theft of government funds.” Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2026-03-25-dunkirk-man-pleads-guilty-to-theft-of-government-funds-invo-14a8d5aae7/, SHA-256 d1019b53c977c83a1a239d36bb956ab4fecab642527495c651f558cd31c210d1.

Full text

PRESS RELEASE

Dunkirk man pleads guilty to theft of
government funds involving COVID-19 fraud
Friday, March 20, 2026

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Lamont Brown,
37, of Dunkirk, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to theft of
government funds, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a
$250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that during the
COVID-19 pandemic, Brown recruited others to apply for unemployment assistance
compensation through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program for
which they were not entitled. Brown and his recruits obtained personally identifiable
information and used that information to obtain PUA funds from the Puerto Department
of Labor and Human Resources. Brown received a portion of the PUA funds the recruits
received as payment for allowing them to participate in the scheme. In July 2020, Brown
personally received a check totaling $10,122.00 from the Puerto Rico Department of
Labor and Human Resources, which he deposited into a checking account at a Lake
Shore Savings Bank within the Western District of New York. He later withdrew and
spent the funds. The money was issued through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security (CARES) Act. Brown did not reside in, nor had he resided or worked in
Puerto Rico. The total loss to the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human
Resources due to the scheme was $67,524.

The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the
direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan
Mellone, Northeast Region.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 5, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.

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Original: www.oig.dol.gov