PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. – District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Ahmed Hussain, 23, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 102 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Boardman also ordered Hussain to pay $557,078 in restitution. The sentence is in connection with Hussain’s convictions on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, stemming from Hussain submitting fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance (UI) claims. Hussain’s sentence also covers Hussain’s convictions on felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charges.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2021, and continuing until at least about September 2022, Hussain and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States, the State of Maryland, multiple financial institutions, and multiple individuals, including identity theft victims. The co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent UI benefits claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), Maryland’s agency that is responsible for processing the claims. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $3.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits. Hussain personally participated in UI claims resulting in losses exceeding $550,000. He used debit cards issued in the names of aggravated identity theft victims to obtain UI fraud funds…