U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Springfield Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment Benefits (USAO MD-LA 09/15/2023) (2023-09-25)

Summary

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana, dated September 15, 2023, announcing that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Chaz Ryan Watkins, age 35, of Springfield, Louisiana, to 48 months in federal prison following conviction for wire fraud. The sentence includes two years of supervised release and restitution of $178,620.00 to victims including the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Texas Workforce Commission, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Emergency Management Administration. According to the guilty plea admissions as described, between December 2019 and at least September 2021 Watkins submitted pandemic unemployment assistance claims to the Louisiana Workforce Commission in the names of inmates and other individuals. Watkins received over $95,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.

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“U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Springfield Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment Benefits (USAO MD-LA 09/15/2023) (2023-09-25).” Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/u-s-department-of-labor-oig-springfield-man-sentenced-to-48-months-in-beea4f60ba/, SHA-256 3970902e57ebf42c1d2cf7d3c31d14cfe2cc87c584f3d21c9fa4f5ef83a99715.

Full text

PRESS RELEASE

Springfield Man Sentenced to 48
Months in Federal Prison for Wire
Fraud in Connection with
Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain
Pandemic Unemployment Benefits
Friday, September 15, 2023

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D.
Dick sentenced Chaz Ryan Watkins, age 35, of Springfield, Louisiana, to 48 months in
federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent
scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits. The Court further sentenced
Watkins to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment
and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $178,620.00 to victims, including
the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”), Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”),
Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and the Federal Emergency Management
Administration (“FEMA”).

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between December 2019, and
continuing through at least September 2021, Watkins obtained the personal identifying
information (“PII”) of inmates incarcerated in Louisiana prisons and of other individuals,
including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. Watkins submitted claims for
pandemic unemployment assistance (“PUA”) benefits to the Louisiana Workforce
Commission (“LWC”) in the names of the inmates, who were ineligible for such benefits,
and in the names of other individuals, often without the individual’s knowledge or
consent. In these applications, Watkins requested that the PUA benefits be transmitted
via direct deposit to his financial accounts or via pre-paid debit cards mailed to
addresses under his control. Once the funds were received, Watkins withdrew the funds
as cash from ATMs at various financial institutions in the Middle District of Louisiana.
Watkins received over $95,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Anyone audacious enough to
steal taxpayer money during a state of emergency should expect to wind up in
prison. Hopefully the sentence imposed upon Mr. Watkins today will make that clear to
other aspiring fraudsters. The Louisiana OIG remains committed to pursuing criminal
outcomes for individuals who commit fraud during public emergencies.” Street added,
“I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff, and our partners at the
US Department of Homeland Security OIG and US Department of Labor OIG for our
continued successful partnership.”

This matter was investigated by the Louisiana Office of State Inspector General, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department
of Labor, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.

Updated September 15, 2023

Topics
DISASTER FRAUD

FINANCIAL FRAUD
Component
USAO - Louisiana, Middle

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File: 2023-09-25-Springfield-Man-Sentenced-to-48-Months-in-Federal-Prison-for-Wire-Fraud-in-Connection-with-Fraudule.pdf
Size: 503,141 bytes
SHA-256: 3970902e57ebf42c1d2cf7d3c31d14cfe2cc87c584f3d21c9fa4f5ef83a99715
Our copy: 2023-09-25-Springfield-Man-Sentenced-to-48-Months-in-Federal-Prison-for-Wire-Fraud-in-Connection-with-Fraudule.pdf
Original: www.oig.dol.gov