St. Louis Man Sentenced to Over Five Years for COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man, Daryl Jones Jr., has been sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for his involvement in a scheme that involved fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment benefits, identity theft, and forgery. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk handed down the sentence on Friday, ordering Jones to repay $116,587 in restitution.
Jones, 46, pleaded guilty to several felonies, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud earlier this year. He fraudulently acquired $84,592 in unemployment benefits from Pennsylvania between June and July 2020 using debit cards linked to stolen identities—his own and those of four others.
The investigation revealed that Jones had obtained some stolen personal identifying information from his girlfriend, Cheryl Johnson, who previously supervised the victims. In addition, Jones submitted counterfeit pay stubs to secure a $31,700 vehicle loan with Johnson, utilizing fake insurance documents.
Further investigation linked the operations to a St. Louis County residence owned by James Whitiker. Law enforcement discovered notebooks containing personal information of approximately 35 individuals, along with multiple debit cards associated with the fraud.
Additionally, Johnson received a sentence of 55 months, while Whitiker was sentenced to three years for his involvement. Ruth Mendonça of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service emphasized their dedication to pursuing justice for victims of financial fraud.
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