ALBANY, N.Y. — William Taylor, 33, and Patricia Clarke, 27, both of Jamaica, N.Y., have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to steal over $380,000 in unemployment benefits by using the stolen identities of 20 individuals, according to U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman.
Taylor was sentenced to 36 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, while Clarke received a sentence of 12 months and one day for her involvement in the conspiracy.
The couple fraudulently obtained pandemic unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by using stolen personal information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The NYSDOL wired funds to accounts controlled by the pair and mailed bank cards to addresses they provided. The fraudulent claims resulted in $381,815 in payments.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.