Maryland State Wire

Zakria Hussain, a 28-year-old resident of Prince George’s County, Maryland, has admitted guilt to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. These charges relate to fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance under the CARES Act.

The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer from the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski from the FBI's Baltimore Field Office.

Hussain and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme starting March 2021 until August 2022 to defraud various entities including the United States and Maryland state agencies. They submitted false unemployment insurance claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) using stolen identities. The conspiracy resulted in over $3.5 million being fraudulently obtained, with Hussain personally involved in losses exceeding $550,000 but less than $1.5 million.

Co-conspirators Bryan Nushawn Ruffin and Kiara Smith were employed by Company 1, which supported MD-DOL's review and administration of UI benefits claims. They provided access to non-public data that allowed changes to be made on existing UI claims using stolen personal information.

Hussain faces up to 20 years for wire fraud conspiracy and an additional mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19 at 10 a.m., while other defendants are either awaiting sentencing or trial.

The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is part of a national effort by the U.S. Department of Justice to tackle pandemic-related frauds like this one involving CARES Act funds.

For more details about reporting COVID-19 related frauds or about the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland, visit justice.gov/usao-md.

Kelly O. Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI for their investigation efforts along with assistance from MD-DOL and thanked Assistant U.S Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Paul A. Riley, Joseph L. Wenner as well as Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N Huber for their contributions.