An Ohio man will spent almost six years in prison for stealing pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits.
According to a March 17 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Lawrence Lawson, 41, of Cleveland, recruited multiple individuals to file unemployment claims May-November 2020 and, in exchange, took a portion of the payments they received.
"Mr. Lawson and his co-defendants stole taxpayer dollars intended to help our neighbors and community members pay their bills and obtain basic necessities while the pandemic disrupted lives and caused many to lose their jobs or livelihood," U.S. Attorney Michelle Baeppler said in the release. "This is not a victimless crime. If you steal from the government, you will be caught, and you will be held accountable."
The defendant's scheme reportedly cost state aid agencies, including the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and state workforce agencies in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana and California, nearly $356,000.
“Lawrence Lawson conspired to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, diverting vital taxpayer resources away from those in dire need of unemployment benefits," said Irene Lindow, special agent-in-charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Chicago region. "Protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program remains one of our highest priorities, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the unemployment benefits for those who need it, especially during this critical time."
Lawson will spend 51 months in prison for his fraud conspiracy and must pay $355,849, the news release reported. His co-conspirators, Cierra Clifton, Emanuel Smith, Terrance Jones, Quantez Lawson, Charles Moore and Mark Dailey. have already been sentenced.
“The egregious and self-serving actions of these fraudsters robbed federal aid and assistance from hard-working Americans experiencing unprecedented economic hardships as a result of the global pandemic," Brandon Gardner, acting special agent-in-charge with the Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General. "HUD OIG is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federally funded housing programs and diligently pursue action against those who seek to illegally benefit from them."
