BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that 28-year-old Mohammad Fares, formerly of Buffalo, now of Florida, pleaded guilty to theft of government property.
A release says on May 18, 2020, Fares submitted an online application to the New York State Department of Labor for unemployment insurance benefits stating that his did not work that week, he did not have gross earnings over $504, his last day of work was March 21, 2020 and his workplace closed due to COVID-19.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, at the time Fares co-owned a trucking company in Buffalo, managing truck drivers and coordinating shipments. On June 11, 2020, Fares received $3,600 in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits and every week through May 2, 2021, he certified to that he did not work during the prior week and had not returned to work. He received approximately $43,320 in unemployment benefits and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.
Fares in scheduled to be sentenced on March 7 and the charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
