PLYMOUTH – A Plymouth man has pleaded guilty to submitting multiple fraudulent claims during the pandemic as part of a relief fund fraud scheme.
Ferris Brooks, 41, issued a plea for the charge of theft of government property for a series of falsely filed applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Economic Impact Payments filed through tax returns which paid out over $150,000 in total.
According to the report, Brooks used the names of friends and family as part of the scheme, sharing with them a portion of the ill-gotten gains.
Although fraud schemes were common during the pandemic, the state’s Fraud Enforcement Task Force has continuously pursued instances of fraud to return state tax dollars to state coffers and punish those filing fraudulent claims.
The charge of theft of government property carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines up to $250,000.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young has scheduled the sentencing of Brooks for May 21, 2024.
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