Former TSA Security Officer Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

BOSTON – A Worcester man has been charged with fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) while employed as a TSA Security Officer full-time.

Ismael Rosado Jr., 40, was charged with one count of wire fraud. The defendant will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Rosado was employed full-time as a TSA Security Officer at Boston Logan International Airport from November 2018 through October 2021. It is alleged that, between May 2020 and September 2021, Rosado submitted an application seeking PUA and weekly certifications claiming he was unemployed and making no income. Based on the misrepresentations in the application and weekly certifications, Rosado received $47,526 in unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.    

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.