A man from Taneytown, Leslie Awulley Quaye, has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release from the Maryland Attorney General’s office. Quaye, 25, admitted to one count of felony theft by deception with a value over $100,000 and two counts of felony identity fraud in Baltimore Circuit Court on Dec. 12, 2023. Besides his prison sentence, Quaye must undergo five years of probation and pay $41,905.32 in restitution to the Maryland Department of Labor.

Quaye filed several fraudulent unemployment claims under varying identities in July 2020 after the federal government allocated funds to support sudden unemployment caused by the pandemic. He assumed the identity of at least 10 people to claim unemployment benefits, resulting in the Maryland Department of Labor distributing over $140,000 in fraudulent benefits.

Quaye was indicted in June along with Cindy Boadu, Kelvin Boadu, and Kwame Boadu, all from Rockville. However, Quaye’s case was separate, and it’s unclear if he knew the Boadu’s. The case against the Boadu’s for filing fraudulent unemployment claims is still ongoing. Quaye’s attorney, Craig Kadish, argued that his client was duped into participating in the scheme.

Maryland’s Attorney General emphasized the serious ripple effects of such crimes, saying that the accused undermined the state’s safety net for citizens facing adversity during the pandemic. The contributions of the investigative team in bringing the case to a conclusion was also acknowledged.