CLEVELAND — Five men from Northeast Ohio have been sentenced to a combined total of 284 months in prison after facing charges in a 47-count indictment “for illegally obtaining more than $800,000 in pandemic unemployment insurance benefits using other people’s personal identifying information.”
United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced the sentencing details Monday morning as follows:
- Errol Bennett Jr., 26, of University Heights: 54 months
- Kojo Lockhart, 29, of Cleveland Heights: 48 months
- Mauri Nichols, 25, of South Euclid: 78 months
- Khyri Grace, 30, of Cleveland Heights: 60 months
- Malik Grace, 26, of Cleveland Heights: 44 months
“The Court determined each defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation,” officials noted in a press release.
The defendants were also ordered to pay $872,143 in restitution for fraudulently obtained benefits.
“As part of the scheme, the members of the conspiracy knowingly made false statements and omissions on pandemic unemployment insurance benefits applications regarding employment history, residency and more to appear eligible to receive benefits,” according to Lutzko’s office. “As a result, California EDD and other State Workforce Agencies approved more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in the names of unwitting individuals. The benefits were pre-loaded on bank-issued debit cards and sent through the U.S. mail. After receiving the debit cards, the defendants used the cards issued in the names of other people to make cash withdrawals at various ATMs in the Northern District of Ohio.”
The Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case with assistance from the Cleveland Heights Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Andrachik and Alejandro Abreu.
