LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Las Vegas man for an alleged fraud scheme to steal more than $500,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
The suspect, Craig Renard Gibson, is charged with five counts of bank fraud, one count of illegal transactions with access devices and four counts of aggravated identity theft, according to federal prosecutors.
Court documents show Gibson was allegedly one of several individuals between August 2020 and December 2020 who had stolen debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation and the California Employment Development Department.
Prosecutors say Gibson and others "illegally withdrew over $500,000 in funds from these cards."
RELATED | 3 men sentenced for stealing over $520K in COVID unemployment benefits
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the unemployment insurance program. This collaborative investigative effort with our local, state, and federal partners reaffirms our commitment to investigate these types of allegations,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Gibson faces up to 162 years in prison and a fine of $5.25 million if he is convicted.
A jury trial has been set for October 20.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 1-866- 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdfdisaster-complaint-form.
-
Two men face charges after being shot by Summerlin homeowner
As Channel 13 previously reported, both men were shot in a neighborhood near Charleston Boulevard and Sky Vista Drive on Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Homeowner shoots armed men who approached garage, police say
An investigation is underway in the west valley after a homeowner shot two armed men who approached him in his garage, according to Metro Police.
LVMPD shares details in Spring Valley traffic stop that led to chase, shooting
It began just after 1 a.m. in the area of South Valley View Boulevard and West Twain Avenue, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Two arrested for shooting that killed two near downtown Las Vegas
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, around 9:30 p.m., they got a notification from ShotSpotter about the gunfire on Lewis near Charleston.
