U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man and woman on COVID fraud charges (USAO WD-NY 12/21/2023) (2023-12-29)
Summary
A December 21, 2023 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announcing that a federal grand jury indicted Damone Hennings and Analyse Spencer, both of Buffalo, on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to the indictment, between about August 11 and September 7, 2020, the two used other people's identifying information, including Social Security numbers, to submit 10 applications for pandemic benefits to the New York State Department of Labor and received 10 debit cards loaded with federal funds. They sought $412,606 and obtained about $362,268. Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.
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Cite this document
“U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man and woman on COVID fraud charges (USAO WD-NY 12/21/2023) (2023-12-29).”
Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/u-s-department-of-labor-oig-federal-grand-jury-indicts-buffalo-man-and-aff161f616/
, SHA-256 3099593c321d55977700194e5112ff4818f648966116a36623dd4dd192edc228.Full text
PRESS RELEASE
Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo
man and woman on COVID fraud
charges
Thursday, December 21, 2023
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has
returned an indictment charging Damone Hennings, 31, and Analyse Spencer, 23, both
of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity
theft. The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, and a maximum
penalty of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that
according to the indictment, between on or about August 11, and September 7, 2020,
Hennings and Spencer conspired to illegally obtain pandemic related benefits from the
New York State Department of Labor. Hennings and Spencer used false identification
information, including the social security numbers of other individuals, to submit 10
applications to state labor department. As a result, Hennings and Spencer received 10
debit cards containing federal funds that they were not entitled to receive. Hennings
and Spencer attempted to obtain $412,606, but actually obtained approximately
$362,268.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations,
under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the U.S. Department
of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge
Jonathan Mellone, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of
Sheriff David Linder.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
####
Contact
Barbara Burns
716-843-5817
Updated December 21, 2023
Topics
FINANCIAL FRAUD
IDENTITY THEFT
Component
USAO - New York, Western
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- www.oig.dol.gov