DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced to 36 months in prison Dec. 13 for having conspired to engage in mail fraud and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said.
According to court records, Charles H. Alexander, 54, of Detroit, participated in a multiyear scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
As part of the scheme, Alexander obtained personal identifying information of third parties and caused unemployment benefits to be issued in the names of those third parties, even though those individuals had no legitimate entitlement to such benefits. Alexander also impersonated others in order to withdraw fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits.
Alexander, who has prior convictions for illegal weapons activity, drug activity and aggravated domestic violence, was also sentenced for having illegally possessed a loaded firearm.
“Unemployment insurance fraud hurts honest employers and employees by driving up rates and making it more difficult for legitimate claimants to receive their benefits,” said Schneider. “Charles Alexander took that damaging fraud activity and made it even worse when he chose to endanger others through his illicit possession of a loaded gun."