JACKSON, Miss. (VDN) — Mississippi State Auditor Shad White announced the arrest of Benjamin Coleman on Wednesday in connection with an ongoing investigation into unemployment fraud, dubbed Operation Payback.
Coleman is accused of filing false weekly certification documents to unlawfully collect unemployment benefits from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES).
“During COVID, Mississippi distributed over half a billion dollars in illegal unemployment payments,” said White. “We will continue to crack down on fraud and recover as much of that money as possible.”
If convicted, Coleman could face up to 15 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
As with all cases handled by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
