$800,000 Multi-State Unemployment Comp Scam

From the U.S. Attorney in Southern Illinois:

East St. Louis Woman Charged In $800,000 Unemployment Insurance Scam

EAST  ST.  LOUIS,  Ill.  –  A  federal  grand  jury  in  East  St.  Louis,  Illinois,  has returned  a  7-count indictment charging Talfanita M. Cobb, 49, of East St. Louis, with participating in a scheme that fraudulently obtained more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from three states.

The indictment  charges  Cobb  with  conspiracy,  mail  fraud, and aggravated  identity  theft. 

Some  of  the money allegedly came from federal pandemic unemployment compensation funds.

“The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  caused  tremendous  pain  and  suffering  in  our  country,”  said  U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

“So many Americans have lost their lives, and many thousands more face severe economic hardship after losing their jobs. For those most affected, the federal government has approved special funds.

It is reprehensible that unscrupulous individuals would take advantage of these new programs to line their own pockets. These individuals should take note: we will investigate and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to the indictment, Cobb’s co-conspirators used stolen identities to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in Arizona, Ohio, and Texas.

Each application allegedly listed Cobb’s address in East St. Louis as the address of the applicant. The applications were approved, and unemployment benefits were issued to the individuals whose names and identities had been stolen.

Some of the funds were allegedly deposited directly into a bank account controlled by Cobb.

After a short time, however, the  co-conspirators  were  able  to  acquire  debit  cards,  which the  states  issued  in  the  names  of  the identity theft victims and allegedly mailed to Cobb in East St. Louis.

The indictment alleges that, after she received the unemployment debit cards in the mail, Cobb went to various ATMs in the Metro East and withdrew funds from the cards. She is accused of transferring some of the funds to a co-conspirator using Bitcoin and keeping a percentage of the money for herself.

Inspector  in  Charge  William  Hedrick  of  the  United  States  Postal  Inspection  Service’s Chicago Division  stated,  “Individuals  who  use  the  U.S.  Mail  to  steal public benefit money designated for citizens suffering unemployment as a  result of a  pandemic must  be held  accountable. 

The  Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who wish to exploit relief funding for their own personal
benefit.”

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, the defendant is
presumed  to  be  innocent  of  the  charges  until  proven  guilty  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt 
to  the satisfaction of a jury.


Comments

$800,000 Multi-State Unemployment Comp Scam — 5 Comments

  1. This is reparations, just like looting the stores during riots, the ppl need to eat, leave her alone you racist state.

    If Macy’s gets no justice, neither should Jumbo Boy Shitzker.

  2. Talfanita M. Cobb – East St. Louis.

    Anybody want to take a guess ?

  3. I hope they go after a financially much larger scam: PPP money obtained by false pretenses and used for unintended purposes.

  4. THIS IS A DROP IN A BUCKET TRY WORKING ON ALL THE FRAUD HERE IN ILLINOIS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING SINCE THE SS OFFIES HAVE BEEN CLOSED…

    YOU GOT A LONG WAY TO GO LAW MeN..

    A LONG WAY TO GO…

    THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN SCAMMED AND THE MORONS IN THE SS OFFICES ARE TO STUPID TO CHECK ANYTHING…

    JUST MAIL IT OUT GET IT OFF MY DESK I’M TO LAZY TO USE A THOUGHT PROCESS … OF MY OWN… DOH!!!

    STORMY D THAT IS WEPAWATIONS..

  5. Toilet Bowl, right you are.

    These people cannot be assimilated. How many generations of stupid policies do we need?

    They are two standard deviations on average than whites or asians.

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