U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman | U.S. Department of Justice
Daion Morris, a 32-year-old resident of Troy, New York, has been arraigned on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Erin Keegan from the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Lucy Lang, New York State Inspector General.
According to the indictment, Morris allegedly used a stolen identity to file an unemployment insurance claim in September 2020. He is accused of recertifying this claim through March 2021 and receiving over $29,000 in benefits under the victim's name. It is important to note that these charges are accusations at this stage, and Morris is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted on all counts, Morris could face a minimum of two years and up to 22 years in prison. Additionally, he may be subject to a fine of up to $250,000 and supervised release for up to three years. Sentencing will be determined by a judge based on specific statutes violated and other factors.
Morris appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart in Albany today for his arraignment. He was released pending trial before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including HSI, NYSIG, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the New York State Department of Labor's Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.
In response to pandemic-related fraud cases like this one, the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force was established on May 17, 2021 by the Attorney General. This task force coordinates resources across government agencies to enhance efforts against such fraudulent activities.
For those with information about attempted COVID-19 related frauds can report them via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or their web complaint form.
