Eight Men Flaunted Cash Online After Stealing $2m From COVID-19 Relief Fund

A group of eight New York-based men, all between the ages of 18 and 25, took advantage of COVID-19 relief funds for unemployed citizens. Using the personal information of several individuals they filed unemployment claims. For nearly a year they collected the ill-gotten money. They were caught after they took to social media to flaunt their wealth. Two of the eight men are at large.

On Tuesday, May 18 18-year-old Byan Abraham, 18-year-old Angel Cabrera, 18-year-old Seth Golding, 19-year-old Gianni Stewart, 20-year-old Carlos Vazquez and 25-year-old Andre Ruddock were charged in Brooklyn federal court. Their accomplices 24-year-old Armani Miller and 19-year-old Johan Santos are yet to be arrested. The charge against the men is a conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

The arrest took place after some members of the group shared images on social media, flaunting wads of money, The New York Post reported. Police nabbed the accused and found evidence linking them to the scam.

The men were able to get access to the personal information of individuals on the COVID-19 unemployment assistance program. It is unclear how they gained access to the personal details of the individuals. It is believed that the group began its illegal operation in June 2020. Since then, till April they managed to steal around $2m from the relief funds.

Using the personal information of their victims, they claimed unemployment benefits, siphoning the funds to their bank accounts. They then used multiple Key Bank debit cards to withdraw the money from Capital One ATMs in Brooklyn and Queens. Investigators reportedly found over 100 Key Bank debit cards in the possession of the men. Surveillance videos and images from the ATMs caught the men making withdrawals, Fox Business reported.

The suspects used the same phone number and address for multiple claims.

State Labor Commissioner, Roberta Reardon, pointed out how despicable the crime was. She said that the crime of fraud and theft in itself was despicable, but the crime of stealing from the public during the pandemic was even worse. Philip Bartlett, the United States Postal Service Inspector-in-Charge, stated that fraudsters had targeted the relief funds meant to help those in need. He pointed out that the money being stolen was that coming from taxpayers.

The investigation continues.