LAS VEGAS – Two individuals are scheduled to be jailed later this year after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to use COVID-19-related unemployment benefits issued under different names on Thursday.

According to a news release, Luigi Montes, 42, of Sugarland, Texas, and Peter Stincer, 34, of Sylmar, California, each pled guilty to conspiracy to conduct mail fraud.

According to court documents, between March 2020 and January 2021, Montes, Stincer, and co-defendant Alexander Rivera, all of Marion, Ohio, conspired to file false claims for unemployment insurance with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation and the California Employment Development Department.

Police claim that the group colluded to exploit stolen identification information, including victim names, birth dates, and social security numbers.

Once the claims were granted, debit cards for unemployment insurance were issued to the defendants’ addresses, according to the release. After receiving the debit cards, they withdrew funds in Nevada, California, and Texas, among others.

The entire amount of money permitted was at least $934,129, whereas the amount acquired by the offenders was at least $698,655, according to officials.

Montes and Stincer each face a potential statutory sentence of 20 years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary fines at sentencing.

According to the announcement, they will be sentenced on June 5.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas

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