Several members of the Brooklyn-based Woo gang were arrested for stealing $4.3 million in COVID funds after bragging about the scheme in a music video.
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Police arrested the 11 suspects on Thursday after discovering the video on Youtube and said the men used personal information from 800 people in order to submit unemployment claims that were approximately worth $20 million. They were able to collect $4.3 million from unemployment benefits between March 2020 and October 2021.
According to the New York Post, the suspects allegedly flashed large amounts of money on social media and bragged about their scam in the music video for a song titled “Trappin.” One of the lyrics said, “Unemployment got us working a lot.”
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Investigators also said one of the suspects, Christopher Jean Pierre, bought the victims’ driver’s license numbers for $150 per ID. US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said in a statement that they will continue to target gang members who participate in fraud.
“These government programs are designed to provide financial assistance to those who are most in need during an unprecedented pandemic. This Office and its law enforcement partners will vigorously prosecute gang members and anyone else who exploits the pandemic and steals from taxpayer-funded programs.”