OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALPress Releases
No Amount Too Small, No Fraud Too Large — And Counting: Nearly $67 Million in Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scams — USC Football Stars, Ohio State Employee, and a California Con Man Busted, Justice Demanded for Hardworking Americans
May 8, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General
WASHINGTON, D.C — Three major sentencing victories have resulted in millions of stolen taxpayer dollars being recovered — from a California fraudster who ripped off $59 million in unemployment benefits and funneled money to China, a USC football player who turned his athletic career into a fraud scheme, and an Ohio state insider who abused his position to steal nearly $7 million. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General under the leadership of Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito and in partnership with federal, state and local authorities is aggressively targeting taxpayer fraud. Enough is enough. Nothing is too big or too small. The message is clear: fraudsters will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable.
HARRISBURG, PA. — A California man, Bruce Jin, was sentenced to 144 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining $59 million in public benefits, including unemployment insurance (UI) funds, and laundering proceeds to China. As a result of his fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UI payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states. This was a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “This is exactly the kind of brazen fraud that steals from hardworking American taxpayers and lines the pockets of criminals. A California man orchestrated a massive scheme, fraudulently obtaining $59 million in unemployment benefits with ties reaching back to China. These reprehensible crimes against the American people will not be tolerated,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “My office, alongside Vice President Vance’s Fraud Task Force will not rest until every fraudster is found, prosecuted, and receives the prison sentence they deserve. The era of ripping off American taxpayers ends now.”
LOS ANGELES, CA. — Abdul-Malik McClain was sentenced to 24 months’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of more than $228,000 to the California Employment Development Department (CA EDD) in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme. While a member of his university’s football team, he filed fraudulent claims for UI benefits, and assisted football players in filing fraudulent claims, including under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, fraudulently pursuing more than $1 million. This was a joint investigation with the FBI, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation OIG, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Social Security Administration OIG, United Postal Inspection Service, and CA EDD Investigations Division. “Abdul Malik McClain, a young USC student athlete, who should have been focused on education and representing his school with integrity, instead coordinated a massive unemployment fraud scheme that stole from American taxpayers. He didn’t just cheat the system — he preyed on hardworking Americans who relied on those benefits the most,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “These fraudsters think they’re above the law, but we have zero tolerance for exploiting the American taxpayer. We will root out every one of these scams that drained our federal benefit programs and ensure every fraudster is brought to justice.”
CLEVELAND, OH. — Andrew Kerobo, a former state of Ohio employee, was sentenced to 84 months of incarceration and was ordered to pay restitution of nearly $7 million for using his access to the state’s Unemployment System to manipulate Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims to ineligible individuals. This was a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ohio State Police. “84 months behind bars and $7 million in restitution. Former state of Ohio employee Andrew Kerobo got exactly what he deserved for defrauding the unemployment system and stealing millions from hardworking taxpayers. This is what real accountability looks like,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “The outstanding work of our law enforcement partners drives these efforts every single day and make results like this possible. There will be no mercy for those who steal from the American people.”
No amount too small, no fraud too large - and counting.
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