U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Six Philadelphia-Area Individuals Charged with Over One Million Dollars in COVID Fraud Scheme (USAO ED-PA 10/25/2022) (2022-11-03)
Summary
A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, dated October 25, 2022, announcing that Wylene Johnson, Cookie Bundy, Hakeem Cooper, Louis Barnett, Barry Mitchell and Tameka Edmonds were charged with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance fraud-related offenses in two separate Indictments. The first Indictment alleges that Johnson, Bundy, Cooper, Barnett and Mitchell submitted nearly 100 fraudulent PUA applications listing Johnson's former Philadelphia address, causing a loss of nearly $1 million, and also charges Johnson, Barnett and Mitchell over fraudulent EIDL applications. Bundy and Mitchell were separately charged by Criminal Complaint with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as previously convicted felons. The second Indictment charges Edmonds over allegedly fraudulent PUA, EIDL and PPP applications.
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“U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Six Philadelphia-Area Individuals Charged with Over One Million Dollars in COVID Fraud Scheme (USAO ED-PA 10/25/2022) (2022-11-03).”
Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/u-s-department-of-labor-oig-six-philadelphia-area-individuals-charged-0b3bca8aae/
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Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Six Philadelphia-Area Individuals Charged with Over One
Million Dollars in COVID Fraud Scheme
Two defendants were also charged with firearms offenses
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Wylene Johnson,
41, of Chester, PA; Cookie Bundy, 41, of Philadelphia, PA; Hakeem Cooper, 42, of Philadelphia, PA;
Louis Barnett, 43, of Philadelphia, PA; Barry Mitchell, 33, of Philadelphia, PA; and Tameka
Edmonds, 32, of Marcus Hook, PA; were charged with various Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
(PUA) fraud-related offenses in two separate Indictments.
In the first Indictment, defendants Johnson, Bundy, Cooper, Barnett, and Mitchell are each charged
with four counts of mail fraud and one count of theft of government money in connection with a
scheme to submit fraudulent PUA applications. As part of the scheme, those charged allegedly
submitted (or caused to be submitted) nearly 100 fraudulent applications resulting in a loss to the
government of nearly $1 million dollars. All of the applications submitted as part of this scheme
listed Johnson’s former address in Philadelphia as the mailing address for benefits. After the benefits
were mailed to this address, those charged allegedly accessed either the checks or debit cards issued
on the applications.
In addition to the PUA scheme, defendants Johnson, Barnett, and Mitchell are also each charged
with three counts of theft of government money for allegedly submitting fraudulent Economic Injury
Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications to the Small Business Administration for businesses which did not
exist. As a result of these fraudulent application, Johnson allegedly received approximately $52,000
dollars from the SBA which she allegedly spent on personal items. Barnett and Mitchell also allegedly
received emergency advances from the SBA which they spent on personal items.
In October 2022, when law enforcement agents from the United States Department of Labor – Office
of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security
Investigations arrested Bundy and Mitchell for the charges in this Indictment, firearms and
ammunition were recovered from both of their residences. Immediately thereafter, Bundy and
Mitchell were charged by Criminal Complaint with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as
previously convicted felons.
In the second fraud Indictment announced today, defendant Edmonds is charged with three counts
of mail fraud and three counts of theft of government money for allegedly submitting fraudulent
PUA, EIDL, and Paycheck Protect Program (‘PPP’) applications. Edmonds is also charged with
spending the EIDL and PPP funds on personal items.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed
into law. The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which
provides unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation
or extended unemployment benefits, including individuals, families, and businesses affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility to receive weekly PUA benefits is predicated on an applicant’s
unemployment for reasons related to the pandemic, and it requires that the applicant was able to
work each day and, if offered a job, would have been able to accept it. Once an applicant is approved
to receive benefits, the applicant is required to submit weekly certifications indicating that he or she:
was ready, willing and able to work each day; was seeking full time employment; did not refuse any
job offers or referrals; and had reported any employment during the week and the gross pay or other
payments received.
“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and small business loan funds are intended to help working
Americans and small business owners continue to pay their bills and make ends meet, even when
revenues have dropped dramatically due to the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Thieves who
attempt to take these funds under false pretenses are taking advantage of others’ misfortune –
ripping them off while also ripping off all taxpayers who fund the programs. These defendants
allegedly obtained over $1 million in funds that could have helped struggling businesses and
individuals.”
“White collar crime being conducted by convicted felons is part of the new criminal reality facing law
enforcement agencies. These criminals are intelligent and bold enough to deliberately defraud the
United States government on a large scale,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s
Philadelphia office. “Combatting these criminals takes an immense amount of time, effort, and
cooperation between the prosecutors and the investigating agencies. We are extremely proud of the
working relationships that have developed between all agencies involved.”
“The amount of pandemic program fraud uncovered in the last two-plus years is utterly offensive,”
said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “This was
emergency financial assistance meant to keep families, businesses, and the economy afloat, not a
golden ticket for crooks and opportunists to live the high life. As these mounting indictments show,
the FBI continues to investigate those who so eagerly defrauded the government and we’re
committed to holding each and every one accountable for their crimes.”
“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 the Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry and our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of
allegations”, stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S.
Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General,
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. The
case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Timothy Lanni.
Topic(s):
Coronavirus
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
Follow @USAO_EDPA on Twitter to get the most up-to-date information about big cases and
community news.
Updated October 25, 2022
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