United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

DEFENDANTS SENTENCED IN SCHEME TO FRAUDULENTLY
OBTAIN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

AMARILLO, Texas — Three defendants involved in a conspiracy to defraud the Texas Workforce Commission out of unemployment benefits have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas.

Warren D. McDonald, 39, the lead defendant, was sentenced in April to a total of 65 months in prison and ordered to pay $15,700 restitution; Barbara Williams-Glover, 50, was sentenced to six months in prison in April and ordered to pay $3850 restitution, and today, Christopher Hughes, 43, was sentenced to seven months in prison and ordered to pay $4900 restitution. McDonald pled guilty to conspiracy to possess stolen mail matter and aggravated identity theft; Williams-Glover and Hughes each pled guilty to mail fraud and aiding and abetting.

McDonald admitted that he devised a scheme to defraud the Texas Workforce Commission out of unemployment benefits. He created a fictitious company to defraud the Texas Workforce Commission and then filed for unemployment benefits in his name, Williams-Glover’s name, Hughes’ name and the names of other unknowing individuals. The fraudulent claims caused the Texas Workforce Commission to issue unemployment checks in these names and mail them to the claimants.

Williams-Glover and Hughes admitted that they assisted McDonald by allowing him to use their names, Social Security numbers and mailing addresses and McDonald shared the unemployment benefits with them.

The fraud occurred between June and September 2006 and the scheme netted a total of $15,750 in illegally obtained unemployment benefits.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, the Texas Workforce Commission - Office of Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicki Lamberson prosecuted the case.

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