CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A man has been sentenced to five years in prison for using stolen identities to defraud covid relief programs.
U.S. Attorney Dena King announced on March 10, 2022, 31-year-old Keon Taylor has been sentenced to serve five years in prison and three years supervised release for using stolen identities to receive approximately $219,000 in unemployment benefits.
Keon Taylor
King says, Taylor was ordered to pay a total of $252,849.50
The CARES act was established on March 29, 2020. This act was intended to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans and businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a news release by the Department of Justice, Taylor pleaded guilty to the crime.
Taylor committed fraud against the following organizations: Department of Labor, U.S Small Business Administration, North Carolina Division of Employment Security as well as the States of Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Arizona.
King says Taylor obtained the identities of more than 35 victims, including their names, date of birth, social security numbers, and addresses. Taylor used personal identification information to apply for fraudulent unemployment benefits.
Federal agents say they received a search warrant to Taylor’s home where they found equipment used to make Fake ID cards.
According to court records, Taylor continued to make fraudulent ID cards even after pleading guilty resulting in losing his federal bond.
