A man from Perth Amboy, Christopher Valerio, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme that fraudulently obtained COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Valerio, 33, and his accomplice, Yanira Abreu from Keasbey, illegally acquired over $400,000 by creating fake online profiles using personal information from others without consent.
According to U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger, the New York Department of Labor approved their fraudulent applications, resulting in the issuance of debit cards totaling $444,738. Valerio had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Abreu, who also pleaded guilty in September, is set to be sentenced on May 9.
A third conspirator, Jose Tavares of New York City, still faces pending charges. From July 2020 to February 2021, the trio submitted false applications for unemployment insurance benefits, exploiting the COVID-19 relief funds provided by the federal government.
