Boston Man Charged with Pandemic Fraud, Identity Theft, Firearm and Drug Offenses

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged and has agreed to plead responsible to fraud, identification theft, firearm and drug offenses.

Jammy Alphonse, 28, was charged and has agreed to plead responsible to wire fraud conspiracy, false illustration of a Social Safety quantity, aggravated identification theft, possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or extra of fentanyl. A plea listening to has not but been scheduled by the Court docket. Alphonse was beforehand arrested and charged in August 2021 with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon following a taking pictures in Cambridge, Mass., in July 2021. Alphonse has remained in custody since that date.

In line with the charging paperwork, starting in or round Could 2020, Alphonse conspired to acquire Pandemic Unemployment Help (PUA) advantages, which had been made accessible beneath the Coronavirus Support, Reduction, and Financial Safety Act. Particularly, Alphonse conspired to submit false PUA claims in different individuals’ names and utilizing different individuals’ personally identifiable data. It’s alleged that Alphonse and his co-conspirators created electronic mail accounts for the aim of submitting fraudulent PUA claims from Alphonse’s Everett residence and different places. The fraudulently obtained funds had been then directed into accounts held in Alphonse’s identify or within the identify of a co-conspirator.

Moreover, in February 2021, Alphonse allegedly submitted an utility to hire a property in East Boston utilizing the identify, Social Safety quantity and date of delivery of one other individual. Consequently, Alphonse resided in that house from roughly February 2021 by Aug. 6, 2021, when he was arrested on a federal firearms offense. A search of the house recovered a loaded Glock mannequin 43X, 9-millimeter firearm, 47 rounds of ammunition and 40 grams or extra of fentanyl, amongst different issues.

The cost of wire fraud conspiracy gives for a sentence of as much as 20 years in jail, as much as three years of supervised launch and a positive of as much as $250,000. The cost of false illustration of a social safety quantity gives for a sentence of as much as 5 years, as much as three years of supervised launch and a positive of as much as $250,000. The cost of aggravated identification theft gives for obligatory sentence of two years in jail to be served consecutively to some other sentence imposed, as much as one 12 months of supervised launch and a positive of as much as $250,000. The cost of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition gives for a sentence of as much as 10 years in jail, as much as three years of supervised launch and a positive of as much as $250,000. The cost of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or extra of fentanyl carries a compulsory minimal sentence of 5 years and as much as 40 years in jail, as much as 4 years of supervised launch and a positive of as much as $5 million. The sentences are imposed by a federal district decide primarily based upon the U.S. Sentencing Tips and different statutory elements.

United States Lawyer Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Mark Comorosky, Particular Agent in Cost of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Area Workplace; Jonathan Mellone, Particular Agent in Cost of Division of Labor, Workplace of Inspector Basic, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Appearing Commissioner Gregory Lengthy; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Lawyer J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Main Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

On Could 17, 2021, the Lawyer Basic established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Activity Power to marshal the sources of the Division of Justice in partnership with companies throughout authorities to reinforce efforts to fight and stop pandemic-related fraud. The Activity Power bolsters efforts to analyze and prosecute essentially the most culpable home and worldwide prison actors and assists companies tasked with administering aid packages to forestall fraud by, amongst different strategies, augmenting and incorporating current coordination mechanisms, figuring out sources and strategies to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing data and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For extra data on the Division’s response to the pandemic, please go to https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anybody with details about allegations of tried fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Division of Justice’s Nationwide Heart for Catastrophe Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or through the NCDF Net Criticism Type at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The small print contained within the charging paperwork are allegations. The defendant is presumed harmless until and till confirmed responsible past an affordable doubt in a court docket of legislation.