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Unemployment fraud from the pandemic cost millions per each case and shows systemic issues



People rely on unemployment when they are laid off or let go from a company, but it also seems to be open to fraud on a massive level. In just the recent months of this year, the Department of Labor has uncovered millions of dollars in fraud that has happened, which means the program is vulnerable in a way that should be unacceptable to everyone. The money stolen will need to be replaced by taxpayers, who have already had to strengthen it due to the government's forced layoffs of the pandemic.

Unemployment and Drugs

Here, via a Labor OIG newsletter that covers these stories, is where a guy incorporated fraud and drugs.

On January 16, 2024, Brenden Lockridge was sentenced to 72 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $2.1 million in restitution, joint and several with a co-conspirator, for his role in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud and drug distribution scheme.

From March 2020 and continuing through April 2021, Lockridge and his co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to file fraudulent UI claims in several states. Using stolen personal identifiable information (PII) from various victims, he and his co-conspirators filed fraudulent UI claims and received benefits to which they were not entitled. At least $2.1 million of UI benefits were fraudulently received by Lockridge and co-conspirators involved in the scheme.

In April 2021, in a separate scheme, Lockridge and his co-conspirators possessed with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

This is a joint investigation with the Drug Enforcement Agency. United States v. Lampkin et al. (E.D. Michigan)

Multiple State Scheme

On December 14, 2023, Dementrous Von Smith, aka “Meecho” and “El Meecho,” was sentenced to 53 months in prison for his role in a pandemic-related UI fraud and aggravated identity theft conspiracy that defrauded multiple state workforce agencies (SWA) through the submission of fraudulent UI claims. Smith was ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his coconspirators, to affected SWAs and individually forfeit more than $354,000 in fraudulent proceeds.

From March 2020 to October 2021, Smith and his coconspirators impersonated identity theft victims to submit fraudulent claims for UI benefits in Maryland and California. As part of the scheme, Smith and his co-conspirators used electronic messages, phone calls, electronic mail, and other means to aggregate and exchange the PII of identity theft victims. They also created false email addresses and phone numbers for the victims and used the fake emails and phone numbers on the fraudulent applications. Once Smith and his co-conspirators received the fraudulently obtained UI benefits on debit cards, they made cash withdrawals and other transactions for their own financial benefit.

Law enforcement executed search warrants on Smith’s residence and vehicle. They recovered, among other items, a 7.62 caliber firearm, a loaded pistol, several magazines loaded with multiple rounds of various caliber ammunition, more than 176 rounds of various caliber ammunition, and $9,100 in cash.

This is a joint investigation with U.S Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Maryland State Police, and the Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Police Department. United States v. Michael Akame Ngwese Ay Makoge et al. (D. Maryland)

There are many more cases, but these two alone are two million apiece. It would seem that there needs to be a massive investigation into the administrative side of unemployment and find ways to strengthen a necessary program. The money from this normally comes from payments from employers, with tax dollars only headed in when the government is working to destroy businesses like they did during the pandemic. This is a serious issue that everyone needs to pay attention to.

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