NEW YORK — A group of New York City men are accused of stealing $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Their methods involved submitting fraudulent unemployment claims. After cashing in, they foolishly posted pictures flaunting their illicit gains, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Six of the eight defendants — ranging in age from 18 to 25 — were charged in Brooklyn federal court, documents show. Two of the suspects — Armani Miller, 24, and Johan Santos, 19 — remain at large. Four of the alleged thieves foolishly flaunted their loot on social media, posting pictures of themselves with large piles of cash, according to the court documents.
The suspects arrested Tuesday are: Byan Abraham, 18, Carlos Vazquez, 20, Angel Cabrera, 18, Gianni Stewart, 19, Andre Ruddock, 25, and Seth Golding, 18, New York Post reported.
All eight defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit access-device fraud, prosecutors said.
“There is never an excuse to knowingly commit fraud and steal from a system that was designed to help New Yorkers in a time of need,” state Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said.
“However, it’s even more despicable when these thieves steal a lifeline from New Yorkers in the midst of a public-health pandemic. We have no tolerance for criminals, and if you break the law, you will be held accountable.”
Although the suspects are accused of identity theft to obtain unemployment benefits, most of the proceeds were funded by COVID-19 pandemic assistance programs, according to prosecutors.
The men were caught with more than 100 Key Bank debit cards in other people’s names that they used to make large withdrawals from different locations in eastern Queens, according to surveillance images and the court documents, the Post reported.
US Postal Service Inspector-in-Charge Philip Bartlett said, “Unfortunately, as the government rolled out various CARES Act programs, fraudsters were at the ready to take full advantage of these programs through a variety of fraud schemes, ripping off the American public of millions in taxpayer dollars and clogging the system for those who honestly are in need.”
