A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal lockup for his role in a scheme that defrauded unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's office. Michael Cooley, Jr., 26, from Prince George’s County, was sentenced after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, the scheme involved over $800,000 in fraudulent claims.
Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby handed Cooley the 87-month sentence and forcefully ordered him to pay restitution of $310,428.08 to the victims and forfeit any proceeds from his illegal activities. Cooley was found to have held a managerial position in this fraudulent operation, which used the personally identifiable information of more than 60 individuals to file for unemployment insurance in Maryland and California illegitimately. These thefts occurred from at least June 2020 through March 2021, targeting funds to aid those suffering economically from the pandemic.
Cooley's sentencing marks a significant victory for the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, one of five such groups formed nationwide by the U.S. Department of Justice to crack down on COVID-19-related fraud, particularly concerning the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Additional resources are available at their official website for concerned citizens looking to stay current with the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office initiatives or report fraud. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes highlighted the diligence of the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI in the investigation and commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Bijon A. Mostoufi, alongside Joanna B.N. Huber, for their efforts in prosecuting the case.
Those seeking to report allegations of fraud-related activities can also do so through the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or online via their NCDF Web Complaint Form.
