27-04-2025
$4M in federal pandemic unemployment fraud, some in AZ, leads to conviction
A Michigan man has pleaded guilty in a federal case involving identity theft and the theft of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds from unemployment agencies, including in Arizona.
Terrance Calhoun Jr., 36, of Pontiac, admitted to charges of aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, according to an April 23 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ described Calhoun's crimes as a "large-scale, multi-state Unemployment Insurance benefit fraud scheme" where he and coconspirators fraudulently obtained more than $4 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance money on debit cards.
Calhoun's plea agreement detailed how over a six-month period, he used stolen personal identification information and filed hundreds of false unemployment claims with state unemployment agencies in Arizona, Michigan and Maryland, according to the DOJ. The debit cards were used for roughly $1.6 million in purchases and cash withdrawals, the DOJ added.
A search warrant at key mailing addresses, including Calhoun's home, that were used in the fraud scheme, yielded multiple documents with personal information and several debit cards belonging to others, the DOJ said.
Calhoun could be sentenced to decades in prison and sentencing is set for Aug. 27, the DOJ mentioned.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Terrance Calhoun Jr. pleads guilty in $4M COVID-19 fraud
