A Hampton, New Hampshire, man, who prosecutors described as a “serial fraudster” was sentenced to seven years in prison in federal court Thursday, May 2.
Earlier this year, Anthony Silva, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. He used false or stolen identities to obtain about $1.2 million in unemployment benefits from Vermont and New Hampshire, federal CARES funds, and American Express cards.
DOJ: “The fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits and CARES Act funds were deposited either by check or direct deposit into dozens of accounts Silva controlled at multiple banks. Many of these accounts were in the names of individual victims or fictional organizations, such as the ‘Peaceful Protesters Bail Fund,’ ‘BLM New England Trust,’ and ‘Anti-Drumpf League.’” – Journal-Opinion