Prince George’s County, MD — Michael Cooley Jr., also known as 5Micmusik, has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for his role in a multi-state unemployment insurance fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced on April 4.
Cooley, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in January. From June 2020 to March 2021, Cooley, along with his co-conspirators Isiah Lewis (35, Prince George’s County) and Alonzo Brown (27, Virginia), sought to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor and the California Employment Development Department out of more than $800,000 in unemployment benefits.
The scheme involved fraudulently obtaining over $300,000 by filing unemployment claims using stolen identities. More than 60 individuals’ personal information, including names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers, was used to submit fraudulent claims. To avoid detection, the conspirators used anonymous email addresses and various digital tactics to mask their identities.
Cooley played a managerial role in the conspiracy, overseeing fraudulent filings and coordinating efforts to exploit unemployment systems in multiple states. As a result, Cooley was ordered by U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman to pay $310,428.08 in restitution to the victims and to forfeit assets equal to the amount he fraudulently obtained.
