THIRD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO COMMITTING COVID RELATED UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD FROM PRISON

Gulfport, MS – A Nachez, Mississippi man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud today.

According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Kev’Veonta Short, 32, conspired with other inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institute to submit false unemployment insurance claims during the Covid 19 pandemic. Short provided his personal details to another inmate so that inmate could submit fraudulent unemployment claims on his behalf.   Such fraudulent applications were being submitted on behalf of multiple other inmates.

Two of Short’s coconspirators, Adrian Wilson and Aaron Sanders, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2026. Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on Jun 11, 2026.  Short is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026.  The maximum statutory term of imprisonment for Wilson, Sanders, and Short is 20 years.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Office of the Public Auditor are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.