Three defendants charged in $1.3 million COVID-19 fraud scheme

December 14, 2021 — Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General ("DOL-OIG"), Ricky Patel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI"), and Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge, Philadelphia Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service ("USPIS"), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging Mariluz Fermin, Bellanilda Fermin, and Juan Nolasco with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of government benefits, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a COVID-19 unemployment benefit scheme that attempted to steal more than $1.3 million from the New York Department of Labor ("NY DOL"). Mariluz Fermin, Bellanilda Fermin, and Nolasco were arrested this morning in Yonkers, New York, and will be presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein.

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