Twin brothers from Prince George’s County, Maryland, are accused in an identity theft scheme to collect a large amount of COVID-19 relief money.
Jerry and Jaleel Phillips, of Temple Hills, both 24, made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt Thursday.
According to a news release, the brothers are accused of creating false aliases using personal information from real people and creating fake companies or using the names of companies that have gone out of business.
Federal prosecutors say the brothers would use the information to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, as well as unemployment benefits, eventually collecting more than $1 million.
“The aliases were supported by fake Maryland driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers, and birth dates,” the release said.
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Latest vaccination numbers in DC, Maryland and Virginia
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
Prosecutors say the twins then used that money to make multiple purchases, including cryptocurrency, home improvement items and services and a 2020 Camaro.
If convicted, both face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. Jerry Phillips faces another two years for aggravated identity theft.
