A Manchester man, Kyereem Sackey, has been sentenced for his role in a scheme to fraudulently acquire nearly $300,000 in CARES Act funds from the U.S. government and the State of New York. Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announced that Sackey, aged 25, received an 18-month federal prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. He is also required to pay restitution amounting to $295,167.
In January 2025, Sackey admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. "The defendant exploited a national crisis for personal gain," stated McCormack. "He stole nearly $300k in pandemic relief funds that were meant to support struggling families and small businesses."
Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, remarked on Sackey's actions during the pandemic: "While the entire world was focused on dealing with a pandemic, Kyereem Sackey was selfishly focused on exploiting programs designed to help people struggling financially to instead enrich himself." She emphasized that Sackey's sentencing holds him accountable for defrauding taxpayers.
Jonathan Mellone from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General noted that Sackey and his co-defendants engaged in fraudulent activities involving New York Department of Labor unemployment benefits and Small Business Administration Payroll Protection Program loans. Mellone affirmed their commitment to working with law enforcement partners against those exploiting these benefit programs.
Court documents revealed that Sackey used social media platforms to conspire with others for filing false unemployment insurance claims in New York. He filed claims on behalf of co-defendants and himself, resulting in over $250,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits paid by the state.
Additionally, Sackey applied for Paycheck Protection Program loans using fabricated information about non-existent businesses. He provided banks with falsified documents, including fake tax forms, securing over $30,000 in loans.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy is handling prosecution duties.
