Upshur County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Fraudulently Obtain Unemployment and COVID-19 Benefits

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Christopher Grant, 40, of Buckhannon, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to steal public money, property or records. Grant admitted that he fraudulently obtained approximately $14,336 in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds, and a $20,832 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).<_o3a_p>

According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 25, 2020, Grant applied for unemployment compensation after he was laid off as a sales manager at a Charleston auto dealership when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Grant legitimately received unemployment benefits until the week ending April 18, 2020, when he returned to work. <_o3a_p>

Grant admitted that from at least April 25, 2020 through at least July 25, 2020, he continued to apply for unemployment benefits that he knew he was not entitled to because he had returned to work. Grant fraudulently obtained approximately $14,336 in unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the CARES Act.<_o3a_p>

WorkForce West Virginia administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia. Grant admitted that as part of his scheme, he falsely certified on the WorkForce West Virginia website for 14 consecutive weeks that he was entitled to unemployment benefits. Grant submitted the false certification answers while using his personal electronic device in St. Albans.<_o3a_p>

On March 21, 2021, Grant applied for a PPP loan because he had earned income as an independent contractor during previous tax years. PPP loans were available to qualifying independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to replace their normal income and for certain other expenses. Grant admitted that he falsely represented that he had earned $104,580 as an independent contractor for the prior tax year when he knew he had only earned $33,900. Grant further admitted that he made this false representation in order to receive $20,832, the maximum loan amount available to independent contractors. <_o3a_p>

Grant also admitted that he used the fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits and PPP loan funds to make purchases and pay his bills.<_o3a_p>

Grant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Grant also owes $35,168 in restitution.<_o3a_p>

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the West Virginia State Police - Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).<_o3a_p>

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case.<_o3a_p>

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department's response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.<_o3a_p>

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.<_o3a_p>

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-113.