Trial date set for group accused of Michigan unemployment fraud scheme

Sharrell Harrison of Eastpointe and Sharonda Griffin of Center Line are among the nine who were the subject of a superseding indictment last October by U.S. Attorneys and are scheduled to face a trial in February in U.S. District Court in Detroit. All nine are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and eight of the nine face an additional identity theft charge.

On top of those nine cases, the cases of five defendants who were charged via criminal complaint continue in federal court on allegations they participated in the same scheme. One of those five recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and three of them face a preliminary examination later this month. One case has no upcoming dates.

All 14 defendants were indicted or charged in August 2021, and nine face a Feb. 14 trial date in U.S. District Court.

The alleged ringleader was Sharodney Harrison, who was 36 and living in Detroit at the time of the original indictment. He faces the most counts: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of aiding and abetting in aggravated identity theft.

Sharodney Harrison developed a scheme "to defraud several states and the federal government by filing fraudulent UI (Unemployment Insurance) claims using the personal information of individuals without their knowledge or consent, or who were not eligible to receive benefits, or both," according to the new 16-page indictment.

The scheme caused a loss of up to $614,000, according to a court document.

Actions by the defendants include creating email accounts to link with UI claims, submitting fraudulent claims, recertifying the fraudulent claims, using their telephone numbers to verify fake claims, creating online bank accounts to receive UI funds and collecting UI-related mail, including prepaid debit cards on which UI funds were deposited, according to the indictment.

"Sharodney Harrison and other members of the conspiracy shared information about fraudulent UI claims and worked together to file fraudulent UI claims," the indictment alleges. "In return for their assistance, (Harrison) would promise to pay individuals using proceeds from the fraud scheme."

The scheme included stolen personal information under which claims were filed and a California Airbnb rental from which fraudsters could collect claims in that state, the first indictment said.

The operation took place from Feb. 1, 2020, through Jan. 26, 2021, and included claims filed in Michigan, California, Montana, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas and Washington state, according to the first indictment.

Sharrell Harrison, who was 33 and an Eastpointe resident at the time of the 2021 indictment, also faces a charge of aggravated identity theft. Griffin, who was 31 and a Center Line resident at the time, also faces a charge of aiding and abetting in aggravated identity theft. Other re-indicted defendants and their additional charge include:

Seandrea Crawford, 27, of Detroit, at the time of the August 2021 indictment, aiding and abetting in aggravated identity theft;

Sha-Ron Harrison, 31, of Harper Woods at the time, aggravated identity theft;

Sharease Harrison, 35 of Detroit at the time, aggravated identity theft;

Edward Taylor, 36, of Detroit at the time, aggravated identity theft;

Frank Jennings, 43, of Dearborn Heights at the time, aggravated identity theft; and

James Mayfied, 36, of Detroit at the time, who does not face an additional charge.

One defendant, Tyshia Coleman, was who 37 and from Detroit in August 2021, reached a plea deal with U.S. Attorneys. She pleaded guilty Dec. 13 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Under the deal, Coleman can enter the Restart program in which she will not serve time in prison and can later plead to a misdemeanor or have the case dismissed, if she complies with condition, including repaying $26,700 in restitution.

A sentencing date has not been set.

Two defendants face a preliminary examination Tuesday in federal court. They are Brandi Randall, who was 35 and from Detroit at the time she was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and EricDjon Matthews, who was 27 and from Detroit, and was charged with wire fraud.

Steven Markis Johnson, who was 32 and from Detroit, faces a Jan. 23 preliminary examination in federal court on his charge of wire fraud.

Thirty-seven people in all had been charge with unemployment fraud in Michigan as of August 2021, causing millions of dollars in losses, officials have reported.