Detroit men, Warren woman help prison inmate submit 240 fake COVID unemployment claims

DETROIT – Two Detroit males and a Warren lady helped a former Michigan resident who’s presently in jail function a $2.2 million scheme that concerned submitting 240 fraudulent COVID unemployment insurance coverage claims, officers mentioned.

Courtroom data present Cortney Daquan Shields, 33, and his co-conspirators — Daeshawn Tamar Posey, 25, of Detroit; Chaz Duane Shields, 33, of Detroit; and Brittany Levett Witherspoon, 25, of Warren — have been concerned in a fraud scheme from Could 2020 by means of July 2021.

Officers mentioned the group filed greater than 240 fraudulent unemployment insurance coverage claims in additional than 20 states and territories. They obtained greater than $2.2 million price of COVID unemployment advantages by means of the scheme, in response to authorities.

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Cortney Shields additionally obtained a fraudulent $20,833 paycheck safety program mortgage, court docket data present.

He participated within the scheme from inside the Federal Correctional Advanced in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, in response to officers. He was serving a sentence for an unrelated fraud case, they mentioned.

Members of the conspiracy transferred parts of the proceeds to Cortney Shields by way of wire into his Bureau of Prisons commissary account, officers mentioned.

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Cortney Shields pleaded responsible Tuesday morning (Could 10) to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

As a part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit $26,794.11 seized from the commissary account

Posey, Chaz Shields, and Witherspoon have been all charged in a associated criticism, in response to authorities.