Six current, former U.S. Postal employees accused of collecting fraudulent unemployment benefits, business loans

CHICAGO (CBS) — 6 recent and former U.S. Postal Services personnel have been billed with fraudulently obtaining loans for firms that did not seriously exist.

The six defendants were being charged as portion of an investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Taskforce on Unemployment Benefits Insurance policy Fraud. They all utilized for a assortment of authorities loans and guidance all through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance to the Lawyer General’s place of work.

In addition to making an attempt to get loans from the Small Business Administration for companies that had been not serious, four of the defendants are accused of filing for fraudulent unemployment positive aspects although they ended up genuinely doing the job for the Postal Service all alongside.

The defendants are:

• Davonte Kendall, 30, of Lansing
• Bria Taylor, 27, of Berwyn
• Imani Butler, 29, of Dixmoor
• Raven Daniel, 28, of Bellwood
• Louis K. Lay, Jr., 32, of Chicago
• Erica M. Beck, 34, of Chicago.

Concerning them, the 6 defendants are billed with additional than 65 felony counts – such as theft by deception, point out positive aspects fraud, financial loan fraud, wire fraud, and forgery.

Lay and Beck – who are married to each individual other and each continue to perform for the Postal Support – are also billed with scheming to steal $25,000 in economic impression payments from people in the South Shore neighborhood.

The Attorney General’s business commenced investigating when the Postal Service’s Business office of the Inspector Typical reported that some staff members ended up gathering unemployment while functioning and acquiring paid by the Postal Assistance. A joint federal and state investigation adopted.