Missouri – Three people who were part of a pandemic-era fraud scheme that stole personal information and took advantage of unemployment benefits have been sentenced to federal prison. This case spanned several states and left dozens of victims in its aftermath.
Daryl Jones Jr., 46, was sentenced to 65 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday for running the fraud. Jones was also ordered to pay $116,587 in restitution. Jones got more than $84,000 in unemployment benefits that were designed to help people who were affected by the COVID-19 situation between June and July 2020. The money was taken out of accounts with debit cards that were issued in the names of both actual and fake individuals.
Jones didn’t do it by himself, according to federal investigators. His girlfriend, 44-year-old Cheryl Johnson, helped him get personal information that had been stolen from people she used to supervise at companies in the St. Louis region. She was also involved in another scam to get a $31,700 car loan. This one used fake salary stubs and fraudulent insurance papers. On May 22, Johnson was given a 55-month prison sentence and told to pay back the same amount as Jones.
The couple lived at the home of James Whitiker, who was also 44 years old and acknowledged to letting them use his home in St. Louis County to commit their crimes. In June 2021, police investigated the premises and found a notebook with the names, Social Security numbers, and birthdates of about 35 individuals. They also recovered two more sheets containing personal information for 18 more people, as well as stolen IDs, unemployment assistance cards, and fake credit cards.
Whitiker, who admitted using two of the fraudulent cards himself and knowingly letting his home be used for the operation, pleaded guilty last July. He was sentenced in October to a three-year prison term.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves.
Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including the multiple individual consumer and business victims in this investigation,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
The fraud was investigated by both the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. Prosecutor Tracy Berry led the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
