WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, ALHuntsville man charged with disaster related unemployment fraud

Huntsville man charged with disaster related unemployment fraud

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By Christine Pae - email
Jermaine Dawkins (Source: Metro Jail) Jermaine Dawkins (Source: Metro Jail)
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WAFF) -

Federal authorities have charged a Huntsville man with disaster-related unemployment assistance fraud.

The government filed criminal charges against 24-year-old Jermaine X. Dawkins after they said he collected state Disaster Unemployment Assistance following the April 27th tornadoes.

In a plea agreement, Dawkins admitted that he misrepresented to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations that he had been hired by a fast-food restaurant in Madison County but was unable to begin work because the restaurant had been destroyed by the tornado.

Between May 1st and July 18th, Dawkins fraudulently received unemployment benefits with a debit card and then committed wire fraud through a series of wire transactions when he purchased items with the card, according to his plea agreement.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office continues to work with numerous federal and state agencies to keep watch for anyone wrongfully seeking or obtaining disaster benefits," said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance. "Thousands of real victims of the April tornadoes have needed help to restore their lives after the April storms, and last month hundreds more people lost homes to unusual winter tornadoes.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program is a federally funded program operated by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. It provides unemployment benefits to people whose employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster declared by the president to warrant government assistance to communities and individuals.

We spoke to Tom Surtees, Director of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, for his reaction to the charges. 

"We saw Alabamians stepping up to help their neighbors and when we've got some people trying to take advantage of it, there's no room for that in this equation and we'll certainly go after him," Surtees said.

Records show Dawkins has been in the Madison County Jail since July of 2011 for a probation revocation. Court records also show Dawkins was charged with identity theft in 2010.

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