U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Eleven Charged in $4.5 Million Dollar Pandemic Fraud Scheme (USAO ED-MI 08/01/2023) (2023-08-03)

Summary

An August 1, 2023 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announcing a 23-count indictment charging eleven southeast Michigan residents with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced the charges against Marcellus Dunham, Jaylin Davis, Daniel Holt, Day'on Holt, Daveontae White, Armani Haller, Aaniya Carroll, Laron Stroud, Jaylin Qualls, Cheikh Sene and Deleonte Rogers. The indictment alleges they used stolen personal identifying information to file pandemic unemployment assistance claims in multiple states and obtained over $4.5 million. The investigation was run jointly by the FBI, DOL-OIG, Homeland Security Investigations and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.

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Full text

PRESS RELEASE



Eleven Charged in $4.5 Million
Dollar Pandemic Fraud Scheme
Tuesday, August 1, 2023

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan

DETROIT - Eleven residents of southeast Michigan have been charged in a 23-count
indictment for their alleged role in a multi-million-dollar unemployment insurance fraud
scheme targeting funds set aside for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19
pandemic, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Joining in the announcement were Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector
General (DOL-OIG) Special Agent-in-Charge of the Great Lakes Region, Irene Lindow,
and Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski of the Detroit Feld Office of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Charged are Marcellus Dunham, 23, of Redford, Jaylin Davis, 22, of Detroit, Daniel Holt,
21, Day’on Holt, 22, both of Detroit, Daveontae White, 24, of West Bloomfield, Armani
Haller, 22, of Clinton Township, Aaniya Carroll, 22, of Detroit, Laron Stroud, 23, of
Detroit, Jaylin Qualls, 23, of Harper Woods, Cheikh Sene, 23, of Southfield, and Deleonte
Rogers, 23, of Westland. Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit wire
fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, the eleven defendants used stolen personal identifying
information of other individuals to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment
assistance in multiple states. The indictment alleges that the defendants illegally
obtained over $4.5 million in government funds over the course of their scheme.

“My office won’t cease our efforts to hold accountable those who used a global
pandemic to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers,” stated U. S. Attorney Dawn
Ison.

“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate
allegations of fraud related to unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to
work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of
allegations”, said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S.
Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

“Unfortunately, many people believed they could defraud unemployment programs
during the global pandemic and never face the consequences,” said Devin J. Kowalski,
Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This investigation
proves the FBI, and our state and federal partners, will continue to investigate and bring
these criminals to justice no matter how long it takes.”

The defendants face up to twenty years in prison based on the wire fraud and wire fraud
conspiracy charges, and a mandatory two-year prison sentence for aggravated identity
theft.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed
innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Particka and
Sarah Youngblood. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI, DOL- OIG,
Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the State of
Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.

Updated August 1, 2023

Topic
CORONAVIRUS


Component
USAO - Michigan, Eastern


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