A Maryland man, Michael Cooley, Jr., also known as “Micheal Cooley Jr.,” “5Micmusik,” and “Michael White,” has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor and California Employment Development Department. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Cooley following his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, with contributions from Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to Cooley's guilty plea, he conspired with two others, Isiah Lewis of Prince George’s County and Alonzo Brown of Virginia, between June 2020 and March 2021. They defrauded more than 60 individuals, successfully obtaining over $300,000 in unemployment insurance benefits out of a total of more than $800,000 targeted in Maryland and California. The conspiracy involved using anonymous email addresses to file fraudulent UI applications using stolen personal information.
Judge Griggsby determined that Cooley held a managerial role in this conspiracy. She mandated that Cooley pay $310,428.08 in restitution and forfeit assets derived from the fraudulent activity.
This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, one of several throughout the United States aimed at targeting large-scale pandemic relief fraud. These strike forces operate through interagency efforts to bring criminal actors to justice.
U.S. Attorney Hayes acknowledged the work of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service in their investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bijon A. Mostoufi prosecuted the case with support from Joanna B.N. Huber.
For further details on the government's pandemic response and avenues to report suspected fraud, the Department of Justice provides online resources and a National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline.
