Pee Dee couple plead guilty to multi-state COVID relief scam
A husband and wife from the
Using search warrants and confidential informants, the
The four defendants all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to unemployment insurance benefits, according to documents filed in federal court on
The charge carries the possibility of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of
As part of the scheme, Farraj, 43, and his wife, Masoud, 35, procured personal identifying information, created fraudulent unemployment insurance applications and recruited others, according to a statement released by the
“These Defendants callously took advantage of an unprecedented and nationwide pandemic-borne employment crisis,” said
An indictment, filed in
The defendants began their scheme in
As well as making false applications and receiving funds from South Carolina’s unemployment insurance program, the defendents also stole from programs in
The fraud exceeded
The stolen funds were deposited into bank accounts and loaded onto prepaid debit cards opened under the names of identity theft victims, according to the indictment. From there, the conspirators withdrew cash from ATMs, transferred money into their own bank accounts and used it to buy cryptocurrency, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
“These individuals decided to fraudulently and selfishly take advantage of much needed unemployment benefits to line their pockets,” said
United States District Judge
The prosecution of a fifth defendant,
Assistant
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