Daryl Jones Jr., a 45-year-old man from St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced on February 28, 2025.
Between June and July 2020, Jones used stolen identities to unlawfully obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits. He participated in fraud schemes that resulted in $84,592 being deposited into debit cards in the names of Jones and four others. The fraud was committed through the State of Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Attorney’s office reported that Jones used some of the stolen information provided by his girlfriend, Cheryl Johnson, who had access to victims’ personal records while working at various businesses in St. Louis. In addition to the unemployment fraud, Jones used counterfeit pay stubs to secure a $31,700 vehicle loan in 2021.
On June 25, 2021, law enforcement executed a search at the home of James Whitiker in St. Louis County, where they found stolen IDs, unemployment debit cards, and personal information of more than 50 individuals.
Jones is scheduled for sentencing on May 29, 2025, after having pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025. Cheryl Johnson is also involved in the fraud scheme, and Whitiker, who was linked to the operation, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison in October 2023.
