U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson | U.S. Department of Justice
Scott Christie, a 38-year-old resident of Petrolia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to four years of federal probation. He is also required to pay $24,338 in restitution after being found guilty of fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds. This decision was announced in Huntington, West Virginia.
Court documents reveal that Christie applied for unemployment benefits from WorkForce West Virginia during two periods: between February 29 and August 22, 2020, and February 27 and August 14, 2021. During this time, he submitted 50 weekly certifications without disclosing his employment status. Consequently, Christie received a total of $24,338 in unemployment payments from WorkForce West Virginia.
The fraud involved additional funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program under the CARES Act. Christie falsely claimed he was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in his weekly submissions.
United States Attorney Will Thompson praised the investigative work conducted by the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Bazzle II led the prosecution.
In response to rising cases of pandemic-related fraud, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17, 2021. This task force coordinates efforts across various government agencies to tackle fraudulent activities linked to pandemic relief programs.
Individuals with information regarding attempted COVID-19 related fraud can report it via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or through their online complaint form.
For further details about this case or related court documents, individuals can refer to PACER using Case No. 3:24-cr-107 or visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.
