Man gets prison time for pandemic unemployment fraud in Michigan, other states, using money to buy drugs, gun, car

DETROIT (WWJ) — A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for his role in a multi-state, million-dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme that impacted three states, including Michigan, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison’s office says 29-year-old Adrian Fluellen of Harrisburg, Penn., took part in a scheme that defrauded the U.S. government and those three states of money that was earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He and his co-defendant used the money to buy jewelry, drugs, at least one car and at least one gun, according to Ison’s office.

Fluellen was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $900,000 in restitution in the sentence handed down by United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman.

Fluellen pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in February, according to Ison’s office.

Fluellen and a co-defendant — whose name was not disclosed — defrauded the government and the states out of about $1 million “intended to support individuals who had lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Authorities say the pair used interstate worse and illegally obtained social security numbers and other personal identification belonging to other people.

They used that information to file hundreds of false unemployment claims with state unemployment insurance agencies in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Maryland in the names of those people without their knowledge or consent, the attorney’s office said.

The defendants then received hundreds of Bank of America prepaid debit cards in the names of those people, loaded with nearly $1 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds at addresses in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Fluellen, his co-defendant, and their accomplices then “successfully unloaded more than $930,000 from the cards via cash withdrawals and purchases that included jewelry, drugs, at least one vehicle, and at least one firearm,” according to Ison’s office.

Officials did not say whether the co-defendant has been charged or sentenced in the case.

“Taxpayer unemployment assistance funds diverted to the pockets of criminals during the pandemic resulted in less money and fewer resources being available for those genuinely in need at that challenging time” Ison said, per a press release. “Along with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to work to hold individuals who have committed and are committing such crimes of fraud, greed, and avarice responsible. “