Posted on 08/25/2020 7:07:11 PM PDT by 11th_VA
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Thousand of inmates in county jails and state correctional institutions in on a scheme each collected thousands of dollars in pandemic unemployment insurance meant for workers sidelined by COVID-19. On Tuesday, federal and state prosecutors charged the first 33 inmates along with their outside accomplices who allegedly filed the claims.
“They stole taxpayer money. They undermined a safety net that millions have relied on during this crisis,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
The inmates were those like accused murderer Lamont Wilford, who KDKA first told you about last month.
He’s been here the county jail since November but is charged along with his girlfriend Casey Norrick and another outside accomplice who filed the unemployment claim. Though in an intercepted phone call between them, Norrick had misgivings.
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady says 10,000 inmates statewide have filed for more than $100 million in pandemic benefits.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
This is getting series ...
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... and Hugh!
“Inmates running the asylum”
I hope they pay them in menthol cigarettes. KOOLs, Salems, Newpotes, etc. That is the coin of the realm on the inside.
not in MA...
not in MA...
Inmates?
So they filed for it, but how much did they actually receive?
If they received anything there are insufficient controls and heads should role.
Some of them might have been eligible. For TX at least, it depends on the $$ you made the previous year, ending a quarter ago. If they just went to jail, and got out for bail or from the ChinaVirus “Free the people” policies, they could probably get some.
Might be gray area if they were fired due to being sent to jail, but if they were furloughed/cut due to lockdowns, then committed the crime, then were released,I don’t know of anything (in TX at least) that would then make them ineligible currently.
But, reading the excerpt, it does sound like most of this is probably UI fraud.
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