A Haverhill man has been arrested and charged with deceitfully filing a pandemic unemployment claim for an individual who resided in Brazil, authorities said. Julio Roncaly Morais, 41, is accused of filing a fraudulent claim which resulted in the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance disbursing $5,202 before suspending the payments. The claim was reportedly for Chelbe Willams Moraes, a man currently entangled in a separate federal case on serious allegations involving migrant smuggling and money laundering.
Morais, who was arrested today, is facing charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, in a document published on their website, Morais is accused of having allegedly sworn under penalty of perjury that Chelbe Moraes was a Massachusetts resident available to work, but could not due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Moraes was actually to be found living in Brazil at the time of the claim in June 2020.
The file on this case is filled with allegations as the legal process unfolds. Authorities have stressed that all charges are merely accusations, and the accused is considered innocent unless proven guilty in the eyes of the law. If convicted, Morais could potentially be looking at up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines. The task force behind these charges includes Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigations.
The Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Begg Lawrence, James D. Herbert, and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division are the ones tasked with prosecuting a case that has already drawn significant attention. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy mentioned that the "charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release." The investigation that led to Morais's arrest was aided by contributions from local law enforcement including the Woburn and Norwood Police Departments.
As with any case of this caliber, the implications are significant. Not only does it shine a light on the vulnerabilities of systems meant to aid those in dire need during a global crisis, but it also brings to the fore the ongoing battle against fraud, which has been especially rampant amidst the pandemic. Morais is scheduled to appear in federal court today, which will mark the next step in this unfolding legal drama.
