‘Live the high life’: Pennsylvania women among 6 people arrested in pandemic fraud

Arrested were Wylene Johnson, 41, Chester; Tameka Edmonds, 32, Marcus Hook; and Cookie Bundy, 41, Hakeem Cooper, 42, Louis Barnett, 43, and Barry Mitchell, 33, all of Philadelphia.

"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."

The feds gave this account:

Johnson, Bundy, Cooper, Barnett and Mitchell are each charged with four counts of mail fraud and one count of theft of government money in the submission of applications.

They submitted (or caused to be submitted) nearly 100 fraudulent applications resulting in a loss to the government of nearly $1 million. 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.

Also Johnson, Barnett, and Mitchell are also each charged with three counts of theft of government money for allegedly submitting fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to the Small Business Administration for businesses that did not exist.

In that scam, Johnson allegedly received about $52,000 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.

This month when federal agents took the suspects into custody, firearms and ammunition were recovered from the residences of Bundy and Mitchell, and there were charges for that as well.

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 applications. Edmonds also spent the proceeds of the scam on personal items.

"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," Romero said.

Romero's office provided this review:

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) was signed into law. The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance 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.

"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, the Philly U.S. attorney said.

The press release didn't specify if the suspects were incarcerated.