A Columbus man was arrested last Friday in Forrest County after committing unemployment compensation fraud throughout a nine-month span during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Benjamin Coleman, 26, has been charged with making fraudulent statements and computer fraud, according to a letter of demand sent to Coleman from the Office of the State Auditor.
A press release signed by Jacob Walters, communications director to the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor, states Coleman was arrested “as part of a detailed investigation into unemployment compensation fraud called Operation Payback.”
Though Coleman’s permanent address is in Columbus, he is being held in Forrest County Jail where the crimes were committed, Walters said.
The letter of demand alleges that Coleman submitted “false and fictitious weekly certification sheets” to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security from May 30, 2020 to Feb. 6, 2021 in which he fraudulently obtained $12,872.
The letter, signed May 1, states that Coleman must repay $27,915.09, the amount fraudulently collected in addition to interest and cost of recovery, within 30 days, or he will face prosecution.
The press release states that if convicted, Coleman will face up to $20,000 in fines and up to 15 years in prison.
As of Thursday afternoon, bail had not been set for Coleman.
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