CHICAGO (CBS) — 6 current and former U.S. Postal Company workforce have been charged with fraudulently acquiring financial loans for companies that did not really exist.
The six defendants had been charged as component of an investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Taskforce on Unemployment Advantages Insurance coverage Fraud. They all used for a range of governing administration loans and guidance for the duration of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance to the Legal professional General’s office.
In addition to seeking to get loans from the Smaller Company Administration for businesses that were not actual, 4 of the defendants are accused of submitting for fraudulent unemployment positive aspects when they were really performing for the Postal Company all alongside.
The defendants are:
- Davonte Kendall, 30, of Lansing
- Bria Taylor, 27, of Berwyn
- Imani Butler, 29, of Dixmoor
- Raven Daniel, 28, of Bellwood
- Louis K. Lay, Jr., 32, of Chicago
- Erica M. Beck, 34, of Chicago.
Between them, the 6 defendants are charged with more than 65 felony counts – like theft by deception, state added benefits fraud, bank loan fraud, wire fraud, and forgery.
Lay and Beck – who are married to every single other and both equally nonetheless operate for the Postal Company – are also billed with scheming to steal $25,000 in economic impact payments from inhabitants in the South Shore neighborhood.
The Attorney General’s business began investigating when the Postal Service’s Office environment of the Inspector Common claimed that some workforce were collecting unemployment although doing work and finding paid out by the Postal Service. A joint federal and point out investigation followed.