A federal grand jury has indicted two Maryland men for their alleged involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in unemployment insurance benefits. Daiwor Woah-Tee, 51, from Belcamp, and Dekwii Woah-Tee, 46, from Rosedale, face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was initially sealed following its return on February 1, 2024, but was unsealed after the defendants were arrested.
The accused appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Austin in Baltimore on December 18, 2024. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland along with officials from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) and the Department Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG).
According to the indictment details, unemployment insurance is a joint state and federal program providing temporary financial aid to unemployed lawful workers. Following the COVID-19 pandemic's onset in March 2020, several federal programs expanded eligibility and increased benefits under UI schemes such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWAP).
In Maryland, applicants seeking UI benefits had to apply online with personal information including name and Social Security Number. They also needed to certify a COVID-19-related reason for unemployment or partial employment. The Maryland Department of Labor used this information to determine eligibility before distributing approved benefits electronically.
The indictment alleges that between March 2020 and September 2021, the defendants conspired to defraud State Workforce Agencies by impersonating victims to submit fraudulent UI claims using stolen personal identifying information. This scheme reportedly resulted in more than $1 million being fraudulently obtained.
If convicted, both men face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years that must be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed.
An indictment does not imply guilt; individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court proceedings.
This case forms part of efforts by one of five strike forces established by the U.S. Department of Justice across the country to tackle COVID-19-related frauds involving funds from programs like the CARES Act.
For further information about reporting attempted COVID-19 fraud or accessing resources provided by these agencies visit their respective websites or contact hotlines as listed above.
U.S. Attorney Barron acknowledged contributions from DOL-OIG, DHS-OIG alongside IRS-CI during investigations while expressing gratitude towards Assistant U.S Attorneys John D’Amico & Jared W Murphy who will prosecute this case federally.
