DETROIT – A Detroit man is facing federal charges in an alleged scheme to defraud government unemployment insurance programs in multiple states.
Christopher Powell faces federal charges of mail fraud and wire fraud for allegedly stealing from government unemployment insurance (UI) programs and obtaining unemployment benefits by false pretenses.
The investigation began in April 2024 when a supervisor at the Jefferson Station Post Office in Detroit became aware that Powell appeared to be receiving mail addressed to homes along his delivery route. Court documents said Powell did not live along his assigned route.
The supervisor contacted the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to investigate.
On April 2, 2024, authorities interviewed Powell at the Jefferson Station Post Office, where he claimed he applied and received UI benefits from Michigan in 2022 while he was on approved “COVID leave” from the USPS.
He also told authorities that he had not received UI benefits from any other state, but later reportedly admitted that a friend applied for UI benefits in California on his behalf using his personal identifying information.
Law enforcement showed Powell several pieces of mail addressed to him at addresses along his delivery route. He reportedly admitted to using vacant addresses along his route to have mail delivered to him instead of his own address. One of the pieces of mail was an opened Bank of America California EDD Debit Card under his name that was mailed to an address along his delivery route.
