U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley Postal Workers Agree to Repay Fraudulently Obtained Unemployment Assistance Benefits (USAO ED-PA 01/06/2023) (2023-01-17)

Summary

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, dated January 6, 2023, announcing that Jaire Chance, 27, of Philadelphia, agreed to a consent judgment of $100,399, and Robert Day, 42, of Center Valley, agreed to a consent judgment of $110,610 to resolve False Claims Act allegations over Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. The United States alleges that Chance and Day made false statements to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to obtain the benefits while working full-time for the United States Postal Service for most or all of the period. It alleges that Day was also earning income as a driver using the Uber application. The release states that the claims resolved are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

                                      Department of Justice
                                        U.S. Attorney’s Office
                                   Eastern District of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  Friday, January 6, 2023

 Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley Postal Workers Agree to Repay
 Fraudulently Obtained Unemployment Assistance Benefits
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jaire Chance,
27, of Philadelphia, has agreed to a consent judgment of $100,399, and Robert Day, 42, of Center
Valley, Lehigh County, has agreed to a consent judgment of $110,610 to resolve allegations that they
violated the False Claims Act by improperly seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
benefits when they were employed by the United States Postal Service.

The United States alleges that Chance and Day made materially false and fraudulent statements to
the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to obtain PUA benefits, meant for individuals
not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. In fact,
both were working full-time for the United States Postal Service for most or all of the time they were
receiving PUA benefits. During that time, Day was also earning income as a driver using the Uber
mobile application to arrange work. Further details regarding the United States’ allegations
regarding conduct by Chance and Day can be found in the complaints filed in federal court, United
States v. Jaire Chance, U.S.D.C. E.D. Pa. No. 2:22-cv-4626, and United States v. Robert Dean Day,
U.S.D.C. E.D. Pa. No. 5:22-cv-4736.

“There is no excuse for any individual who fraudulently obtains money set aside to help victims of
the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The fraud alleged in this case is particularly
egregious as it was perpetrated by a federal employee. The United States Attorney’s Office is ready to
investigate and bring to justice any individual who abuses emergency assistance in this way.”

“It is alleged in the settlement agreements filed in court that Jaire Chance and Robert Day submitted
weekly certifications, which falsely represented they were unemployed due to the COVID-19
pandemic, to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Pandemic Unemployment
Assistance (PUA) program. In actuality, they were employed full-time by the U.S. Postal Service for
all or a majority of the period that they submitted the certifications. The submission of those
certifications resulted in Chance and Day receiving PUA benefit payments that they were not eligible
to receive. We will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and
our law enforcement partners to safeguard unemployment compensation benefit programs,” said
Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of
Inspector General.

“The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving the mail to
its proper destination. Unfortunately, Day and Chance betrayed this public trust when applying for
unemployment benefits. The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to
aggressively investigate those who engage in fraudulent activities intended to defraud federal benefit
programs and the United States Postal Service,” stated Jeffrey E. Krafels, Special Agent-in-Charge of
the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

This investigation was conducted by United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District with
investigators from the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and United States
Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul W.
Kaufman and Isaac J. Jean-Pierre handled the investigation and consent resolution.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of
liability.
Topic(s):
Financial Fraud
Component(s):
USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern
Contact:
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA 615 Chestnut
Street, Suite 1250 Philadelphia, PA 19106 JENNIFER CRANDALL Media Contact 215-861-8300 If
you have not done so already, follow @USAO_EDPA on Twitter to get the most up-to-date
information about big cases and community news.
                                                                                Updated January 6, 2023


File and source

File

2023-01-17-Philadelphia-Lehigh-Valley-Postal-Workers-Agree-to-Repay-Fraudulently-Obtained-Unemployment-Assista.pdf

Size

103,538 bytes

SHA-256

2cbd569eb3555933a7b4214d0996dd7acc367d9fd55a37c34561a59750206033

Our copy

2023-01-17-Philadelphia-Lehigh-Valley-Postal-Workers-Agree-to-Repay-Fraudulently-Obtained-Unemployment-Assista.pdf

Original

www.oig.dol.gov