Identities Stolen From Virginia Jail Detainees For $341,205 COVID-19 Fraud
As of October 3, 2024, guilty pleas had been entered for all but one of 17 people indicted for defrauding the federal government of COVID-19 benefits. In all, the group received $341,205 in benefits to which they were not entitled, using personal information stolen from detainees incarcerated at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority lockup in Haysi.
An indictment entered in federal court for the Western District of Virginia on May 21, 2024, accused the group of fraudulently obtaining pandemic unemployment benefits under the CARES Act. The conspiracy initially involved three people; Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb and Crystal Shaw began taking advantage of panic and uncertainty at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 by gathering birth dates, social security numbers and other personal identification of jail detainees, some of whom were friends or relatives. They then used that information to file fraudulent unemployment claims. The scheme eventually grew to include another 14 people who were also indicted.
Shaw entered a plea agreement on September 26, 2024. Webb filed a guilty plea form the next day. Brown’s plea agreement was entered on October 1, 2024. By then, most of their remaining co-conspirators had confessed to their roles in the scheme. Brian Edward Addair was the first, filing a guilty plea form on August 22, 2024, followed by Clinton Michael Altizer, Joseph Frederick Hass and Daniel Wayne Horton on August 30, 2024. Four more guilty plea forms were filed on September 5, 2024, by Cara Camille Bailey, Jeramy Blake Farmer, Jessica Dawn Lester and Terrence Brooks Vilacha. Two more were filed on September 10, 2024, by Christopher Kirk Webb and the following day by Russell Eric Stiltner. A plea agreement was entered by Justin Warren Meadows on September 16, 2024. Then on October 3, 2024, two more guilty plea forms were filed by Stephanie Amber Barton and Haleigh McKenzie Wolfe. The case against the last of the group, Jason Dale Worley, was continued that same day. See: United States v. Brown, USDC (W.D. Va.), Case No. 1:24-cr-00017.
Additional source: WSET
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