A Louisiana resident, Travis Thorn, has admitted in federal court to conspiring to obtain unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic while he was incarcerated. Thorn, 45, from Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Court documents indicate that Thorn worked with another individual to submit fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. At the time of the scheme, Thorn was an inmate at the Mississippi Department of Corrections and therefore not eligible for such benefits. Some of the money obtained was used for his commissary account.
The funds involved were part of a federally subsidized program under the CARES Act. The CARES Act was enacted in March 2020 as a response to economic hardships caused by the pandemic and expanded states’ ability to provide unemployment assistance even to those not usually eligible.
Thorn was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 19, 2025. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 17, 2026. The maximum penalty for his offense is up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after reviewing relevant guidelines and statutory factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger announced the plea along with Mississippi State Auditor Shad White and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southeast Region.
The investigation was conducted by both the U.S. Department of Labor OIG and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting this case.
"This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF). In response to the unprecedented scope of Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud, the Department of Justice established the NUIFTF," according to officials involved in announcing Thorn's plea agreement. "The NUIFTF is a prosecutor-led multi-agency task force with representatives from FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and other agencies. Members of the NUIFTF are working with state workforce agencies, financial institutions, and other law enforcement partners across the country to fight UI fraud, and consumers should be vigilant in light of these threats and take appropriate steps to safeguard themselves."
Anyone who has information about attempted COVID-19 relief fraud can report it through the National Center for Disaster Fraud Web Complaint Form or by calling their hotline at 866‑720‑5721.
