SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 5, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A Clearfield man has been indicted for fraudulently collecting unemployment insurance payments out of California.
The eight-count indictment alleges Robert James Waff, 49, collected benefits from California during the COVID-19 pandemic while living and working in Utah, according to a Thursday press release from Utah’s federal prosecutors.
“He also allegedly assisted others in committing the same acts for a cut of their unemployment insurance funds administered under the CARES Act.”
According to court documents, Waff submitted an online application for unemployment insurance benefits on June 19, 2020, through the California Employment Development Department website while he was a resident of Clearfield, according to U.S. Attorney for Utah Trina A. Higgins.
Waff listed his residence and mailing address as Fair Oaks, California, and claimed he had lost employment due to the pandemic.
“Waff’s fraudulent California EDD application and continued renewal of his California EDD benefits resulted in Waff receiving over $36,000 in fraudulent payments,” the press release says.
Beginning in July 2020, Waff also allegedly helped three co-conspirators apply for pandemic-related California unemployment benefits through the California EDD website. None of the applicants lived or worked in the state of California.
In return, Waff received a cash payout from each applicant as compensation for assisting with the false application. “As a result of the fraudulent filings, the actual loss resulting from fraudulent UI benefit claims exceeded $100,000.”
Waff is charged with one count of wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud aiding and abetting, and four counts of mail fraud aiding and abetting. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for Friday in the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
