Jackson, Miss. – A Brandon lady pled responsible to theft of unemployment insurance coverage advantages associated to the COVID-19 pandemic, introduced U.S. Lawyer Darren J. LaMarca, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, and Particular Agent in Cost Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Division of Labor, Workplace of Inspector Basic.
Based on court docket paperwork and statements made in court docket, Aubrey D. Martinez, 36, assisted one other particular person, who was not entitled to obtain unemployment insurance coverage advantages, in making use of for advantages with the Mississippi Division of Employment Safety. The unemployment insurance coverage advantages had been federally backed via the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on Might 16, 2023, and faces a most penalty of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 nice. A federal district decide will decide any sentence after contemplating the U.S. Sentencing Pointers and different statutory components.
The U.S. Division of Labor, Workplace of Inspector Basic and the Mississippi Workplace of the State Auditor are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Lawyer Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as a part of the Division of Justice’s Nationwide Unemployment Insurance coverage Fraud Process Pressure (NUIFTF). In response to the unprecedented scope of Unemployment Insurance coverage (UI) fraud, the Division of Justice established the NUIFTF. The NUIFTF is a prosecutor-led multi-agency process pressure with representatives from FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and different companies. Members of the NUIFTF are working with state workforce companies, monetary establishments, and different legislation enforcement companions throughout the nation to combat UI fraud, and shoppers ought to be vigilant in gentle of those threats and take the suitable steps to safeguard themselves.
The CARES Act is a federal legislation enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to supply emergency monetary help to the thousands and thousands of Individuals who’re struggling the financial results brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. One supply of aid supplied by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ capacity to supply unemployment insurance coverage for a lot of employees impacted by COVID-19, together with for employees who aren’t ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance coverage advantages.
Anybody with details about tried fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Division of Justice’s Nationwide Middle for Catastrophe Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or by way of the NCDF Net Criticism Type at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.