SANTA ANA, California
A Yorba Linda man who allegedly used more than 200 stolen identities to fraudulently collect nearly $600,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department was charged Friday.
today with two counts of mail fraud.
Jeffrey Silhanek, 39, was named in a criminal information filed in federal court and charged with two counts of mail fraud.
According to the information, Silhanek obtained stolen identities and used those names to open post office boxes.
Silhanek then allegedly used the stolen identities and addresses to file unemployment insurance benefit claims, without the knowledge or permission of the identity theft victims.
Silhanek represented that the claimants had been laid off and were entitled to unemployment insurance benefits. To ensure that he received the benefits, Silhanek instructed the employment office to send benefit checks and debit cards to the post office boxes he controlled.
As a result of the claims that Silhanek filed, the employment office suffered losses of at least $586,000.
The EDD is the administrator of the federally funded unemployment insurance benefits program for residents of the State of California.
Silhanek is scheduled to be arraigned in this case on July 8, according to officials.
Silhanek is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
DOJ NOTE:
This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Ahn of the Santa Ana Branch Office.