A Miami federal district judge sentenced Zachary Kameron Ramyard, 23, from Orlando, to nearly six years in federal prison for his role in a scheme defrauding California's Employment Development Department (EDD) of over $4 million in unemployment benefits. He is also ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.
According to court documents, between August 2020 and August 2022, Ramyard, along with accomplices, submitted fake unemployment insurance claims using stolen personal information, including names, birthdates, and social security numbers, to California's EDD. They produced counterfeit driver's licenses and submitted at least 68 fraudulent claims using this personal data. The fraudulently obtained unemployment funds, distributed via electronic debit cards, were withdrawn from ATMs in different states by Ramyard. He used this money to purchase luxury items, including diamond-studded teeth ornaments known as "grills."
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement. HSI Miami and DOL-OIG led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
This case arose in part due to expanding unemployment insurance eligibility enacted through the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided additional federal funds and programs for unemployment assistance.
The Department of Justice has also taken steps to combat such fraud through the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established on May 17, 2021, and a dedicated COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Team led by the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. These efforts focus on preventing and prosecuting pandemic-related financial fraud.
For further information on COVID-19-related fraud and reporting suspected fraud, the public can contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud.
Further case-related documents are available on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida's website.