Also Ordered to Pay $26,699.80 in Restitution to Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Benefits

          OKLAHOMA CITY– ANDRICE VANEC SAINVIL, 20, of Margate, Florida, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to two years in prison for his role in a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

          According to an indictment filed in September 2021, Sainvil conspired with others to steal the identities of dozens of Oklahomans, use their victims’ names and social security numbers to apply for fraudulent Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (“OESC”), and cause OESC to mail prepaid debit cards containing those fraudulently obtained UI benefits to addresses to which the coconspirators had access throughout the Western District of Oklahoma.  The indictment further alleges that Sainvil and others then retrieved those prepaid debit cards and used them to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash from ATMs throughout Oklahoma City and elsewhere.

          At a hearing this morning, Sainvil pleaded guilty to count three of a six-count indictment against him, and admitted that he personally possessed four of those fraudulently obtained UI benefit debit cards, withdrawing more than $1,000.00 in cash from three of them.  Sainvil was then sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  He was further ordered to pay $26,699.80 in restitution to OESC, and to forfeit the $2,658.00 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the scheme. 

          This case is a result of an investigation by the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julia E. Barry.

          Reference is made to court filings for further information.