Criminals Spent COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits On Drugs, Weapons

The Justice Department confirmed the formation of three strike force teams last month to support ongoing initiatives to prosecute fraud connected to COVID-19 and stop it from happening again. This initiative comes after it was revealed that criminals spent COVID-19 unemployment benefits on drugs and weapons.

According to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Labor, crooks stole billions of dollars in unemployment benefits given out during the COVID-19 outbreak and used some of the money to buy narcotics and firearms.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Congress established an unemployment assistance program for Americans who had been incapable of working as a result of lockdowns in March 2020.

The OIG has discovered, however, that certain states failed to safeguard part of the funds from erroneous transfers, including fraud, and that Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was given to people who were not actually quali...

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