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.
-
One person dead after overnight hit-and-run on Flamingo, El Capitan
It happened at 1:21 a.m. in the area of Flamingo and El Capitan Way, just east of the 215 intersection, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Driver arrested for DUI after crashing into UNLVPD vehicle, police say
It happened just after 5 a.m. near the intersection of Flamingo and Cambridge, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Driver arrested for DUI after crashing into UNLVPD vehicle, police say
It happened just after 5 a.m. near the intersection of Flamingo and Cambridge, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Suspect in fatal shooting at Las Vegas Five Below store now behind bars
After nearly a month on the run, police announced the arrest of a 19-year-old man sought in connection with a fatal shooting inside a Las Vegas Five Below Store. Mary Kielar has the reaction from local shoppers.
