Thieves Reap $2M In COVID Scam, Flaunt Cash Online: Feds

New York City NY

18 May, 2021

4:25 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — Eight Brooklynites reaped $2 million in pandemic benefits by filing dozens of fraudulent unemployment claims under other peoples' names, according to a federal criminal complaint. The fraudsters weren't content to lie low either — five flaunted their ill-gotten gains in spate of social media posts showing them fanning out large stacks of cash, the complaint states. "As alleged, the defendants not only fraudulently obtained $2 million inpandemic-related unemployment benefits using information from third-party victims, they audaciously displayed the proceeds of their fraud – large amounts of stolen cash – on social media," Mark Lesko, the Eastern District's acting United States Attorney, said in a statement. "This Office will not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law against defendants who would pocket public funds that are intended to alleviate the hardship of others." Six suspects — Bryan Abraham, 18, Angel Cabrera, 18, Seth Golding, 18, Gianni Stewart, 19, Carlos Vasquez, 20, and Andre Ruddock, 25 — were arrested Tuesday for arraignment on a fraud charge. Two — Johan Santos, 19, and Armani Miller, 24 — remained at large, a release states. Most of them live in or near Canarsie, authorities said. A criminal complaint states the suspects between June 2020 and April submitted a spate of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, most or all of which were funded by pandemic relief funds. They filed the claims in the names of third parties and obtained debit cards and benefits directly deposited into their bank accounts, the complaint states. Surveillance footage at bank ATMs shows some of them making withdrawals, the complaint states. "In total, the scheme resulted in an actual loss of approximately $2 million in UI benefits distributed to the defendants and others, and an intended loss of approximately $5 million in UI benefits," the complaint states. Read the complaint and see the photos below: Abraham Et Al. COVID Fraud Complaint by Matt Troutman on Scribd