Southern District of New York Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street. Photo: Rick Kopstein/ALM
A man accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $1.4 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits was arrested Tuesday in the Bronx, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced Wednesday.
Elvin German, 41, has been charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after allegedly using personal information belonging to more than 250 people to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the New York Department of Labor since May 2020, prosecutors said.
The name of German's dog, Benji, allegedly played a role in his arrest, according to court documents.
The claim applications involved a series of security questions, including one about the recipient's first pet. German allegedly provided the name "Benji" on numerous applications, according to court records.
During a search of German's house this week, law enforcement officers spotted a dog whose collar bore the same name, according to court records. They also found other materials associated with the alleged scheme, according to the records.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said the frequent use of Benji's name was only part of the pattern.
"Investigators were able to detect a pattern to his alleged scam, partly because German typically used the same IP address and security question and answer—the name of [his] family dog, Benji—to illegally submit applications on the DOL's website," Strauss said in a statement. "We thank our partners at DOL and Secret Service for alertly detecting German's attempt to profiteer from funds earmarked to provide relief for families struggling with financial hardships resulting from the ongoing pandemic."
A magistrate judge on Wednesday agreed that German could be released on a $75,000 bond with travel restrictions.
German's attorney, Clay Kaminsky of the Federal Defenders of New York, declined to comment.
Jane Wester
Jane Wester is a litigation reporter for the New York Law Journal. Email her at [email protected] or find her on Twitter @janewester.