Maryland Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years for $800,000 COVID Unemployment Fraud Scheme

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Maryland man sentenced to 87 months for leading $800,000 COVID unemployment fraud scheme targeting Maryland and California agencies.

A Prince George’s County man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for orchestrating a large-scale unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, targeting state agencies in Maryland and California. The case, investigated by federal authorities, involved the misuse of personal information from over 60 individuals and resulted in over $300,000 in fraudulent payments.

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Michael Cooley, Jr., also known by several aliases including “5Micmusik,” pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Between June 2020 and March 2021, Cooley worked with co-conspirators Isiah Lewis and Alonzo Brown to exploit emergency unemployment programs set up under the CARES Act. The trio submitted false unemployment insurance claims using stolen identities and fake email accounts to conceal their actions.

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby determined that Cooley played a leading role in the operation. He was ordered to serve 87 months in federal prison and pay $310,428.08 in restitution. In addition, Cooley must forfeit any assets derived from the scheme, including a money judgment equal to the restitution amount.

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The case is part of the Justice Department’s COVID-19 Strike Force initiative, created to uncover and prosecute large-scale fraud connected to pandemic relief funds. The Maryland Strike Force, one of five across the country, focuses on multi-state and organized fraud rings that exploited relief measures intended for Americans impacted by the pandemic.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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