Boston Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Pandemic Fraud, Identity Theft, Firearm and Drug Offenses

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2022 for fraud, identification theft, firearm and drug offenses.

Jammy Alphonse, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Courtroom Choose Leo T. Sorokin to 94 months in jail and 4 years of supervised launch. On Could 19, 2022, Alphonse pleaded 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.

Starting in or round Could 2020, Alphonse conspired to acquire Pandemic Unemployment Help (PUA) advantages, which have been made obtainable beneath the Coronavirus Support, Aid, and Financial Safety Act. Particularly, Alphonse conspired to submit false PUA claims in different individuals’ names and utilizing different individuals’ personally identifiable info. Alphonse and his co-conspirators created e mail accounts for the aim of submitting fraudulent PUA claims from Alphonse’s Everett residence and different areas. The fraudulently obtained funds have been then directed into accounts held in Alphonse’s identify or within the identify of a co-conspirator.

Moreover, in February 2021, Alphonse submitted an utility to hire a property in East Boston utilizing the identify, Social Safety quantity and date of beginning of one other particular person. Consequently, Alphonse resided in that condominium from roughly February 2021 via Aug. 6, 2021, when he was arrested on a federal firearms offense. A search of the condominium recovered a loaded Glock mannequin 43X, 9-millimeter firearm, 47 rounds of ammunition, and roughly 75 grams or extra of fentanyl, amongst different issues.

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 capturing in Cambridge, Mass., in July 2021. Alphonse has remained in custody since that date.

United States Lawyer Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Andrew Murphy, Particular Agent in Cost of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Discipline Workplace; Jonathan Mellone, Particular Agent in Cost of Division of Labor, Workplace of Inspector Normal, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Lawyer J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Main Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

On Could 17, 2021, the Lawyer Normal established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Process Power to marshal the sources of the Division of Justice in partnership with companies throughout authorities to reinforce efforts to fight and forestall pandemic-related fraud. The Process Power bolsters efforts to analyze and prosecute probably the most culpable home and worldwide legal actors and assists companies tasked with administering reduction applications 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 info and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For extra info 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 Internet Grievance Type at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.