A Detroit man is facing federal charges of mail fraud and wire fraud related to fraudulent claims for pandemic-era unemployment benefits.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Christopher Powell, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, admitted using addresses on his delivery route to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Officials say Powell did not live in that area. The activity in question occurred in Wayne County between July 2020 and April 2024.
In April 2024, a supervisor at the Jefferson Station Post Office in Detroit became aware of Powell’s use of the addresses and notified authorities. According to court documents, Powell told authorities he filed an unemployment claim in Michigan in 2020 while on “COVID Leave” from USPS…