South Carolina Woman and Florida Woman Sentenced in COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina dated Wednesday, August 9, 2023, announcing that Nariman Mahmoud Masoud, 35, of Florence, South Carolina, and Susan Masoud, 34, of Tampa, Florida, were sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to unemployment insurance benefits. It states that Nariman Masoud received 12 months and 1 day in the Bureau of Prisons and two years of supervision, with $604,074.00 in restitution. It states that Susan Masoud received 24 months of probation and was ordered to pay $454,074.00, and that the evidence showed both obtained benefits fraudulently during the pandemic.
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Press Release South Carolina Woman and Florida Woman Sentenced in COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme Wednesday, August 9, 2023 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Nariman Mahmoud Masoud, 35, of Florence, South Carolina, and Susan Masoud, 34, of Tampa, Florida, were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to unemployment insurance benefits. Nariman Masoud was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Nariman Masoud was ordered to pay $604,074.00 in restitution. Susan Masoud was sentenced to 24 months of probation and ordered to pay $454,074.00 in restitution. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III imposed the sentences. Evidence presented to the court showed that both defendants engaged in a scheme with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy submitted applications in four states – Arizona, New York, Florida, and South Carolina – using the personal identifying information of other individuals, sometimes without the person’s permission. In some instances, members of the conspiracy would apply for benefits in multiple states using the same individual’s information. Members of the conspiracy then received the funds associated with the fraudulent claims, primarily through either direct deposit or debit cards. The investigation revealed a total of 69 fraudulent claims associated with the scheme, resulting in a total loss of $454,074.00 in unemployment insurance funds. 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 . This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the New York State Department of Labor, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and the Small Business Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case. ### Contact Brook Andrews, First Assistant United States Attorney, brook.andrews@usdoj.gov , (803) 929-3000 Updated August 9, 2023 Topic Coronavirus Component USAO - South Carolina Related Content Press Release York County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Bank COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brandi McCoy, 48, of York County, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for conspiracy to make false statements to a bank. May 15, 2025 Press Release Texas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in $800,000 PPP Fraud Scheme COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jacob Liticker, 27, of Houston, Texas was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. October 2, 2024 Press Release Five Lowcountry Individuals Sentenced for Role in COVID-19 Loan Fraud CHARLESTON, S.C. — Five of eight individuals who were charged for their role in a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme were sentenced this week. June 14, 2024
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