Miami, Florida – A federal district judge in Fort Lauderdale has sentenced three South Florida residents to prison terms for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the State of Michigan of more than $250,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.
Mervin Mompremier, 29, of Fort Lauderdale, and Sean Damine Ackeem Jermaine Brown, 35, of Fort Lauderdale, were sentenced on January 19, to terms of imprisonment of 65 months and 16 months, respectively. Robert G. Jean-Baptiste, 32, of Plantation, was sentenced on December 7, 2021, to a term of 21 months’ imprisonment. The sentences include joint and several restitution in the amount of $269,720.70 and forfeiture.
According to court documents, the defendants carried out the conspiracy by using personally identifiable information (PII) of approximately 200 individuals to electronically file false and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (MI-DLEO). The defendants opened bank accounts to receive the proceeds of the fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, directed payment to those accounts, and withdrew such proceeds in cash using automated teller machines located throughout the South Florida.
The defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Mompremier also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. United States District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas imposed the sentence.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Mathew Broadhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), made the announcement.
DOL-OIG investigated this case, with assistance from MI-DLEO. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Snider prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60215.
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