A Camden County man was arrested for his role in an unemployment insurance benefits fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Willie Carter, 22, of Bellmawr, is charged by complaint with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law.
The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide assistance to many workers impacted by COVID-19, including workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
The CARES Act provided for three new temporary programs: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.
Between July 2020 and October 2020, unemployment insurance applications in the name of Willie Carter were made to 10 different states.
Each application used the same Internet Protocol Address. Between June 2020 and November 2020, the IP Address was associated with approximately 34 unemployment insurance benefits claims to various states, which paid out approximately $150,000.
The investigation revealed that the IP Address is associated with Carter.
Some of the more than $150,000 was transferred into two bank accounts in Carter’s name.