Comedian Flame Monroe stops by to talk about her experience on stage as a transwoman, father of three, and so much more. Later, she gets candid about cancel culture, the impact it had on her career, and how she’s bouncing back and reclaiming the stage.

Well it has rapidly turned into prospect week for the Braves’ rotation, as a 1.0 inning Reynaldo Lopez start on Tuesday in the middle of a stretch of 10 games straight sent the Braves’ pitching into a scramble to cover innings. An up and down 3.0 inning start from Didier Fuentes resulted in Thursday’s scheduled starter Martin Perez being burnt to cover another 3.0 innings. Fuentes was probably better than his line would indicate, as he got a bit unlucky with some BABIP, while striking out 7 batters across 3.0 innings and generated 15 whiffs on 74 pitches. That said, he was not as his best, particularly in the first inning. So that leaves us with JR Ritchie making his MLB debut on Thursday as a consensus top 100 prospect and top 2 prospect in the organization. Ritchie made a real push for a rotation spot in Spring Training and has been largely effective in AAA so far. Ritchie has a deep pitch mix and will be fun to watch on Thursday, as he can hopefully can provide some depth for a Braves team that desperately needs it.

ATLANTA – An Atlanta podcaster has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after being convicted of using stolen identities to obtain millions of dollars in unemployment insurance benefits.

Jonathan Dupiton, who hosts the “Rich and Unemployed” podcast, is heading back to prison after pleading guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in front of U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert. 

The 36-year-old was ordered to spend seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He will also be forced to pay restitution in an amount which has not been revealed.

The backstory:

Prosecutors say that in 2020, Dupiton was completing a federal sentence at a halfway house for a previous fraud conviction targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when the crimes occurred. Prosecutors say he organized a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme that targeted California’s Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits program that began in July 2020 and continued through early 2021.

The program provided temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who were unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, he obtained stolen identities of hundreds of unwitting individuals and filed claims in California, using a VPN to mask his actual online location.

After the claims were approved, he and his co-conspirators would route the benefits’ debit cards to a North Georgia mailing address, including his own address. He would then withdraw the money from ATMs, mostly in metro Atlanta.

By the numbers:

In all, prosecutors say that he duped the federal government out of $3.8 million, of which he was able to withdraw about $2 million.

Dig deeper:

On Dupiton’s podcast, he explains that his motto is “F.R.A.U.D. is Dope,” with F.R.A.U.D. being a “Finally Rich After Unstoppable Determination.”

What they’re saying:

“During the pandemic, while citizens were struggling with job loss and trying to make ends meet, Dupiton stole unemployment benefits by submitting false applications using hundreds of stolen identities,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “His sentence underscores that anyone who seeks to exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be aggressively prosecuted and face substantial prison time.”

“Jonathan Dupiton orchestrated a brazen scheme to steal millions in unemployment benefits using the stolen identities of innocent victims, all while already serving a sentence for fraud,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “At a time when Americans were facing unprecedented financial hardship, he chose to exploit a critical safety net for personal gain. The FBI remains committed to identifying and holding accountable those who abuse public assistance programs and undermine trust in systems designed to help those in need.”

“Jonathan Dupiton stole identities and filed hundreds of fraudulent claims to steal nearly $3 million in unemployment benefits meant for struggling Americans,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “His sentencing sends a strong message: if you exploit federal programs and steal from taxpayers, my office will relentlessly pursue you. We work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners and have zero tolerance for fraud. We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”

“Dupiton’s fraud stole critical unemployment benefits from Americans who needed them most,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Maisha Horton, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS CI special agents remain vigilant in protecting taxpayer dollars and will continue to hold accountable those who exploit public programs for personal gain.”