A Castro Valley man has been charged in federal courtroom with utilizing pandemic-related unemployment advantages — which he obtained by using the identities of individuals in one other state — for his personal private use, authorities stated Friday.
In a press release, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Northern District of California stated Idowu Hashim Shittu, 46, was charged in a prison grievance that was unsealed Friday. In it, authorities allege Shittu tried to make use of private data from different individuals to acquire unemployment advantages supposed for these affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These advantages had been a part of the a whole lot of billions of dollars in support that the federal authorities licensed in March 2020 as a part of the Coronavirus Support, Reduction and Financial Safety Act, authorities stated. The grievance alleges Shittu submitted requests for advantages and used among the proceeds for his personal private achieve.
Authorities stated within the grievance that Shittu was concerned in three instances and is charged with three counts of system fraud.
The primary incident got here in Might 2020, when the state of Washington’s employment safety division acquired a request for funds from a resident of Mercer Island, Wash., recognized solely as “S.O,” together with corresponding birthdate and social safety quantity data.
The following funds went on a reloadable debit card that was accessed at ATMs in San Jose, Hayward, and Castro Valley, authorities stated. “S.O.” subsequently instructed authorities he had not been in California at any level in 2020, authorities stated.
Two related situations happened after related profit playing cards had been issued to Washington residents in Olympia and Seattle, authorities stated.
Shittu faces a most penalty of 15 years in federal jail for every depend. He appeared in federal courtroom in San Francisco on Friday and is subsequent scheduled to look Monday.