A resident of West Bloomfield, Arron Howard, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his involvement in a multi-state unemployment insurance fraud scheme. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., along with officials from the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Howard, age 33, pleaded guilty to wire fraud after court records showed he obtained more than $626,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits on behalf of dozens of third-party claimants. He admitted to keeping a portion of these funds for himself. The fraudulent applications were submitted to unemployment agencies in Arizona, California, and Michigan.
Judge Mark A. Goldsmith handed down the sentence and ordered Howard to pay $626,960.88 in restitution.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind prosecuted the case.
