A Detroit man has pleaded guilty to his role in a fraud scheme targeting at unemployment benefits and a COVID-19 assistance program, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Tauheed Salik Wilder, 43, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Monday in US District Court and will be sentenced on July 30, according to authorities. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the charge.
Prosecutors said Wilder filed hundreds of false claims for unemployment insurance benefits in several states, including Michigan, using other people’s names without their permission. He then used or arranged for the use of ATM cards issued in the names of identity theft victims to acquire the unlawfully obtained unemployment funds.
The district attorney’s office stated that these activities resulted in about $1.8 million in unemployment benefit losses.
Wilder also took responsibility for two loans obtained fraudulently through the Paycheck Protection Program, according to prosecutors. This was one of the economic support initiatives made accessible to businesses following the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The loans obtained totaled around $84,000.
The Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency all conducted investigations into this case.