U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Queens Couple Pleads Guilty to $380,000 COVID Unemployment Fraud Conspiracy (USAO ND-NY 01/04/2024) (2024-01-10)

Summary

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York, dated January 4, 2024, announcing that William Taylor, age 33, and Patricia Clarke, age 27, both of Jamaica, New York, pled guilty to mail and wire fraud conspiracy, and that Taylor also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft. Taylor and Clarke each admitted using stolen identities of at least 20 individuals to obtain pandemic unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). The release states that NYSDOL paid $381,815 on the claims. Taylor and Clarke agreed to pay $381,815 in restitution, Taylor agreed to forfeit $315,723 and Clarke agreed to forfeit $66,092.

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Full text

PRESS RELEASE



Queens Couple Pleads Guilty to
$380,000 COVID Unemployment
Fraud Conspiracy
Thursday, January 4, 2024


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

ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Taylor, age 33, and Patricia Clarke, age 27, both of
Jamaica, New York, pled guilty today to mail and wire fraud conspiracy. Taylor also pled
guilty to aggravated identity theft.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan
Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor,
Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of
the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward,
Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service
(USPIS); and New York State Inspector General (NYSIG) Lucy Lang.

Taylor and Clarke each admitted that they used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain
pandemic unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of
Labor (NYSDOL). They used the names, dates of birth and social security numbers of at
least 20 individuals to submit claims to NYSDOL. Based on those false claims, NYSDOL
wired funds to accounts controlled by Taylor, Clarke, or both; and NYSDOL directed
bank cards to be mailed to the addresses provided by Taylor and Clarke. In total,
NYSDOL paid $381,815 on the claims submitted by Taylor and Clarke under the stolen
identities.

The conspiracy conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; a fine of up to
$250,000; and a term of supervised release of up 3 to years. For Taylor, the aggravated
identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison that must run
consecutively to the prison term imposed on the conspiracy conviction. A defendant’s
sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged
with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Taylor and Clarke agreed to pay $381,815 in restitution to NYSDOL. In addition, Taylor
agreed to forfeit $315,723 and Clarke agreed to forfeit $66,092.

USDOL-OIG, HSI, USPIS and NYSIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney
Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.

Updated January 4, 2024

Topics
CORONAVIRUS

FINANCIAL FRAUD

IDENTITY THEFT


Component
USAO - New York, Northern


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