12 inmates charged in pandemic fraud case
WESTCHESTER » Twelve inmates at Chester County Prison were charged with fraudulently applying for and obtaining coronavirus emergency unemployment benefits.
Officials at the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the inmates and their accomplices allegedly submitted false applications, claiming they lost jobs as a result of the pandemic and were available to work full-time, despite being incarcerated.
“These fraudsters – many of whom were already incarcerated for breaking the law — treated a national public health crisis as an opportunity to cash in,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. “This callous attitude rips off honest tax
payers who fund relief programs and also makes it much more difficult to provide funds to those who deserve andneedthem. My officewill do everything in its power to ensure that coronavirus fraud scams are stopped and punished.”
Arrested were Vincent Hazzard, 49, of Coatesville, Jacob Fulton, 32, and Emily Baier, 26, both of Coatesville, ChristopherHersh, 36, of Avondale, Kenneth Huggins, 24, of Coatesville, and Patrice Hawthorne, 46, Biancha Kranzley, 31, of Coatesville, Jennifer
D’Hulster, 37, of Coatesville, Zachary Gathercole, 30, of Sadsburyville, Ashley Harrington, 30, of West Chester, Arthur Johnson, 44, of Coatesville and Anthony Schweitzer, 20, of Coatesville.
In addition, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced last week that his office brought state charges against six state prison inmates in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who fraudulently applied for and obtained the same type of emergency unemployment benefits.
Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan lauded the work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“It is despicable that incarcerated people lined their pockets by taking advantage of the COVID-19 financial lifeline given to
millions of honest, hardworking Pennsylvanians,” she said. “Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
for your continuing efforts in fighting for justice.”
TheU.S. Attorney’s Office said the suspects took advantage of the the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act signed into law earlier this year.
The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provides unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits, including individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams said the inmates falsely reported themselves eligible to receive PUA benefits when in fact they did not meet the eligibility requirements as they were not able to report to a job each day because of their incarceration.
“After announcing our first round of arrests in these COVID unemployment scams, I promised that there were more to come,” said Shapiro. “Last week, my office charged 20 more individuals with illegally taking benefits away from hard-working Pennsylvanians who are struggling during this crisis, including six inmates from SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County. These arrests