A local man faces charges of using a stolen identity to claim unemployment benefits from the State of Nevada.
Federal officials charged William Cordor, 26, of Leicester, with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after his arrest on Friday, March 5.
The investigation began when police found Cordor in possession of 21 prepaid debit cards in 13 different names in August 2020.
Investigators discovered that on July 17, 2020, Cordor electronically filed a claim for unemployment in Nevada.
Cordor use the name and Social Security number of a person whose name also appeared on one of the debit cards. He allegedly listed the prepaid debit card as the account to receive the unemployment benefits.
Authorities with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation marked the claim as fraudulent and denied the claim.
Cordor’s residential address was on the prepaid debit card intended to receive the unemployment benefits. Agents also found documents with the victim’s name on Cordor’s laptop during a search of his residence.
Charging documents also reveal that on May 21, 2000, Cordor admitted to federal agents that he fraudulently got unemployment benefits from Massachusetts. He agreed with federal officials to surrender the $79,600 in his bank account on that same day.
The wire fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
