Josef Ludwig Brown has been sentenced to 35 months in federal prison following his guilty plea for his role in a scheme to defraud the United States. The conspiracy involved 17 defendants and aimed to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits. Brown also faces a restitution payment of $119,660.
Several other individuals involved in the conspiracy have received sentences ranging from 12 months and 1 day to 48 months. Jonathan Webb, responsible for recruiting participants, was sentenced to 48 months and ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution.
Court documents reveal that from March 2020 to September 2021, Brown, Webb, and Crystal Shaw orchestrated a plan to submit false claims via the Virginia Employment Commission website. They used personal identification information from inmates and associates to file these claims, resulting in $341,205 being wrongfully obtained.
The investigation was part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, overseen by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. This effort involves 20 Inspectors General tasked with addressing fraud, waste, and abuse in COVID-19 spending. As reported by the United States Department of Labor, Virginia handled approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims during April 2020 to March 2021.
The sentences were announced by Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, with FBI Special Agent Stanley M. Meador and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. Agencies such as the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI assisted in the investigation.
The prosecution team includes Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone.