Texas man pleads guilty to stealing $160,000 in New Mexico pandemic benefits
A Texas man pleaded guilty last week to stealing more than $160,000 in federal unemployment relief funds issued by New Mexico during the pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the guilty plea by Marc Long — the result of continued work by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions to prosecute pandemic-era fraud.
The case underscores the Department of Workforce Solutions’ continued commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting fraud involving unemployment benefit programs.
“The guilty plea in the Marc Long case sends a clear message: New Mexico has not given up on finding the people who exploited emergency relief during the pandemic and ensuring they are prosecuted,” said NMDWS Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair. “Since the unprecedented expansion of unemployment benefits during the pandemic, our team has continued to pursue allegations of fraud while implementing several measures to prevent fraud in the future.”
According to court documents, from July 2020 through February 2021, Long, 46, defrauded the government and financial institutions by submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims funded by federal COVID-19 relief programs. While residing in Texas, Long used the names and personally identifiable information of multiple individuals to file false unemployment insurance applications and weekly certifications in New Mexico, even though neither he nor the individuals whose identities he used were eligible to receive benefits.
During the pandemic, unemployment programs were rapidly expanded to meet unprecedented demand, creating opportunities for fraudulent activity nationwide. NMDWS responded by strengthening identity verification processes, enhancing cross-agency data matching, and working closely with state and federal law enforcement partners.
NMDWS worked with the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General in their investigation of the case.
Although the federal government cut unemployment insurance integrity grants earlier this year, NMDWS continues to prioritize program integrity while ensuring eligible workers can access benefits quickly and securely.
The Department has implemented enhanced identity verification, requiring claimants to prove their identity through Login.gov or in person to the U.S. Post Office or America’s Job Center. NMDWE also uses LexisNexis verification questions to prevent fraudulent account takeovers
For more information on unemployment benefits or to report suspected fraud, visit dws.state.nm.us.