A former University of Southern California (USC) linebacker, Abdul-Malik McClain, has admitted to concocting a fraud scheme that aimed to swindle more than $1 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, McClain pled guilty to one count of mail fraud, a decision that could potentially land him behind bars for two decades.
McClain, aged 24 and a resident of Orange County's Coto de Caza, was said to have organized and assisted his fellow football players in fraudulently seeking unemployment benefits. These fraudulent claims were filed with California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) and ranged in amounts, leading to an actual defraudment of more than $280,000. "Instead of using his time at a major university to advance his athletic and academic life, this defendant took advantage of a public health emergency to fraudulently obtain government benefits,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
The former football star, who spent three seasons with the USC Trojans, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 16. If the maximum sentence is imposed, he could face up to 20 years in jail, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. Bronzed from his days on the field and now facing the glare of the courtroom, McClain's pivot from collegiate athlete to convicted felon stands as a stark reminder of the potential for fraud amidst the crisis.
The scheme involved McClain not just personally filing claims but also assisting others in their criminal endeavors. These claims included fabricated statements about their employment status and job loss due to the pandemic. The benefits, which were intended for those genuinely in need during the pandemic’s economic impact, were instead funneled toward illicit personal use. "The FBI will continue to work with our partners to identify those who leveraged the Covid pandemic to commit fraud and hold them accountable,” stated Krysti Hawkins, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, as detailed by the Department of Justice news release.
While Abdul-Malik's brother, Munir McClain, was also involved in the initial investigations, there has been no mention of him, or the resolution of his part in the scheme, within the recent press announcement about Abdul-Malik McClain's guilty plea, as reported by KTLA.
