Three Rockville residents were indicted Wednesday for filing fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment insurance claims.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the indictments of Cindy Boadu, Kelvin Boadu and Kwame Boadu. They are each charged in a theft scheme valued at more than $100,000. They also are charged with conspiracy to commit a theft scheme, 38 counts of identity fraud and 38 counts of conspiracy to commit identity fraud.
According to a news release from Brown, those three as well as Leslie Awulley Quayle of Taneytown filed unemployment claims in the names of dozens of fraud victims between June and July of 2020.
They are alleged to have assumed the identities of at least 48 people and used their personal identification to submit claims for unemployment benefits as part of the government’s pandemic response, according to a news release from Brown’s office.
It is estimated that the Maryland Department of Labor sent out more than $700,000 to the debit cards of these four people.
“The defendants not only violated the rights of innocent individuals whose identities were exploited, they undermined vital safety nets intended to support Marylanders who faced adversity during COVID-19,” Brown said. “In some of our darkest hours, as many struggled to keep the lights on and put food on the table, these individuals tried to get away with stealing what they thought was easy money. They failed.”
The cases will be held in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
Our office has announced the indictments of 4 people for their involvement in filing fraudulent unemployment claims during the COVID pandemic. In some of our darkest hours, these 4 tried to get away w/ stealing what they thought was easy money. They failed https://t.co/HdfvgekDHM
— Anthony G. Brown (@OAGMaryland) June 28, 2023
