DETROIT – Ten people from Michigan who pleaded guilty in a multi-million dollar COVID unemployment fraud scheme have been sentenced to prison.
Prosecutors said that between April 2020 and August 2021, the defendants filed nearly 700 unemployment insurance claims across nine states, primarily Michigan, California, and Arizona. Once the claims were processed, the funds were put on pre-paid debit cards and mailed to the defendants.
When the defendants received the debit cards, they went to ATMs and took out cash. They were recorded making more than 1,500 ATM visits on camera.
Prosecutors said that the defendants got more than $4,800,000. They have been jointly ordered to pay $4,856,471 in restitution.
All 10 defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring together to obtain illegitimate uninsurance (UI) benefits issued in the name of third parties. They were sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds.
Charges against an 11th person were dismissed.
10 defendants sentenced to prison
- Marcellus Dunham, 23, of Redford, was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison after pleading guilty to engaging in aggravated identity theft and conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Jaylin Davis, 23, of Oak Park, was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison after pleading guilty to engaging in aggravated identity theft and conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Daniel Holt, 22, of Wixom, was sentenced to 2 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Day’on Holt, 23, of Detroit, was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Daveontae White, 25, of Detroit, was sentenced to 2 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Armani Haller, 23, of Sterling Heights, was sentenced to 2 years and 1 day in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Laron Stroud, 24, of Detroit, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Jaylin Qualls, 24, of Harper Woods, was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Cheikh Sene, 24, of Southfield, was sentenced to 3 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
- Deleonte Rogers, 24, of Detroit, was sentenced to 3 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
