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A South Bend man has been sentenced to prison for financial fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Verrhontez Williams pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $168,744 in restitution to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Authorities say that in 2020, Williams used personal information from at least 23 individuals to fraudulently apply for Indiana unemployment benefits and CARES Act payments. He then withdrew cash from pre-paid debit cards at banks.
Williams’ actions exploited pandemic relief programs and defrauded the state of significant funds, resulting in his prison sentence and financial restitution.
