CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Prosecutors said Jamel Johnson went on the internet, found people’s personal information, including Social Security numbers, and used that information to file fake unemployment claims in two states outside of North Carolina: Arizona and Wisconsin.
Prosecutors claim Johnson did this to more than 70 victims and made $189,000. They said he had the money paid out to Green Dot money cards and bank accounts he controlled.
The government believes the timing was significant -- May through July -- because, remember, that’s when many Americans were getting that extra $600 in unemployment each week.
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Johnson pleaded guilty Friday to wire fraud, bank and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“We have, we have no comment. No comment,” his lawyer, Harold Cogdell Jr., said as the two left court Friday morning. “My client’s fully accepted responsibility.”
Johnson also pleaded guilty in another case Friday. Prosecutors said he and three others worked together to steal people’s personal information to trick banks into giving them loans in the victims' names for a total of between $550,000 and $1.5 million. One example: a $10,000 personal loan from Charlotte Metro Credit Union in April.
All that’s left is sentencing. Johnson faces up to 32 years behind bars. As for the other three defendants, two -- David Clarke and Mikael Roberts -- have not pled guilty. The other, Justin Parks, has. Like Johnson, he is still waiting for sentencing.
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