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United States of America v. Jose Tavares
Date: 03-07-2025
Case Number: 22-CR-430
Judge: Robert Kirsch
Court: The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Mercer County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Trenton, New Jersey
Defendant's Attorney: Click Here For The Best Trenton, New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory
Description:
New Jersey Man Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison For Stealing COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits; Others Previously Sentenced
Jose Tavares, 37, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 28, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court. Tavares' conspirators, Yanira Abreu, 43, of Keasbey, New Jersey, and Christopher Valerio, 34, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, were each sentenced previously by Judge Kirsch in the same scheme.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2020 through February 2021, Tavares, Valerio, Abreu and others submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) through fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of other individuals without their consent. Once the NYDOL processed and approved the fraudulent applications, Tavares and his conspirators obtained debit cards with the illegally obtained funds totaling over $570,000, which they used for personal gain, including vacations, luxury retail purchases, and cosmetic surgery.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Tavares to 3 years of supervised release and ordered Tavares to pay in $570,077 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation that led to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
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 at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Kent Morlan, Esq.
Trenton, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with a conspiracy to illegally obtain over $570,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits
New Jersey Man Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison For Stealing COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits; Others Previously Sentenced
Click Here For The Best Trenton, New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory
Click Here For The Best Trenton, New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory
Jose Tavares, 37, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 28, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court. Tavares' conspirators, Yanira Abreu, 43, of Keasbey, New Jersey, and Christopher Valerio, 34, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, were each sentenced previously by Judge Kirsch in the same scheme.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2020 through February 2021, Tavares, Valerio, Abreu and others submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) through fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of other individuals without their consent. Once the NYDOL processed and approved the fraudulent applications, Tavares and his conspirators obtained debit cards with the illegally obtained funds totaling over $570,000, which they used for personal gain, including vacations, luxury retail purchases, and cosmetic surgery.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Tavares to 3 years of supervised release and ordered Tavares to pay in $570,077 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation that led to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
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 at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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About This Case
What was the outcome of United States of America v. Jose Tavares?
The outcome was:
Which court heard United States of America v. Jose Tavares?
This case was heard in The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Mercer County), NJ. The presiding judge was Robert Kirsch.
Who were the attorneys in United States of America v. Jose Tavares?
Plaintiff's attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Trenton, New Jersey. Defendant's attorney: Click Here For The Best Trenton, New Jersey Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory.
When was United States of America v. Jose Tavares decided?
This case was decided on March 7, 2025.