Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years for Multi-Million Dollar Unemployment Fraud and Drug Trafficking

A Prince George’s County, Maryland man has been sentenced to 102 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded unemployment insurance programs of over $3.5 million. Ahmed Hussain, 23, also received a three-year term of supervised release and was ordered to pay $557,078 in restitution. The sentence encompasses his convictions for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

The investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and its federal partners, revealed that Hussain and his co-conspirators engaged in a sophisticated fraud operation that began in 2021 and continued until at least September 2022. This scheme involved submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the Maryland Department of Labor. As part of the conspiracy, Hussain personally facilitated claims that resulted in losses exceeding $550,000. He utilized debit cards linked to victims of aggravated identity theft to access the fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits.

The fraudulent activities were amplified by the involvement of individuals employed by a company that provided support services to the Maryland Department of Labor. Co-conspirators Bryan Nushawn Ruffin and Kiara Smith, who worked for this company, allegedly provided Hussain and others access to non-public unemployment insurance data and databases. This access allowed them to alter critical information on existing claims, including email addresses, passwords, and payment methods. The scheme further exploited the personal identifying information of victims and enabled the approval of fraudulent claims, the removal of fraud holds, and the certification of weeks for benefit payments, all while the Maryland Department of Labor believed it was disbursing funds to legitimate applicants.

In addition to the financial fraud, Hussain was found to be in illegal possession of a firearm and a significant quantity of marijuana. During a search of his residence on November 16, 2022, law enforcement discovered a stolen 9mm handgun. This firearm was linked to his drug-trafficking activities, which also involved approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Hussain was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction for an offense punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.

Hussain’s co-defendants, Bryan Nushawn Ruffin, Kiara Smith, Zakria Hussain, and Lawrence Nathanial Harris, have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

This case is part of a broader effort by the U.S. Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Strike Force initiative, established to investigate and prosecute fraud related to pandemic relief programs, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These interagency efforts are designed to identify and prosecute individuals and criminal organizations that have stolen pandemic relief funds.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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