DETROIT, Mich. (DDN) – Tracey Dotson, 49, of Detroit, was sentenced to 51 months for his role in a multi-state, million-dollar unemployment insurance fraud scam.
Court documents revealed that the conspiracy attempted to defraud the United States government and the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland of cash set aside for jobless relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dotson was ordered by United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman to pay restitution in excess of $900,000.
According to court records, Dotson and a co-defendant planned to cheat the federal government and the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland out of around $1 million in money intended to assist persons who lost their employment due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Officials claimed they committed their crimes by using interstate wires and unauthorized possession and use of social security numbers and other forms of identity belonging to other people.
In April 2024, the 49-year-old man pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Dotson and his co-defendant used stolen personal identification to file hundreds of bogus unemployment claims with state unemployment insurance offices in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland in the names of others, without their knowledge or agreement.
According to court filings, Dotson and his co-defendant received hundreds of Bank of America prepaid debit cards in the names of persons at addresses in Michigan and Pennsylvania, each loaded with approximately $1 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments.
Dotson, his co-defendant, and their accomplices then successfully removed more than $930,000 from the cards through cash withdrawals and purchases of high-end jewelry, designer fashion items by Gucci and Louis Vuitton, drugs, at least one vehicle, and at least one firearm.
Reference: Detroit man sentenced to 51 months for role in nearly $1M multi-state unemployment fraud scheme
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