Fresno man pleads guilty to submitting false claims for pandemic unemployment assistance

A 30-year-old Fresno man is facing 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for scheming to defraud California’s Employment Development Department.

Garrett Scott Wheelen pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to charges of mail fraud and possession of stolen mail, acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in as statement.

According to court documents, Wheelen used stolen mail to submit fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims to the EDD. Between August and November of last year, he used personally identifiable information and other information taken from stolen driver’s licenses, credit cards and checks to receive benefits for employment at mailing addresses that were not associated with the claimants.

Some of the stolen mail came from a mail truck Wheelen broke into last August.

The EDD approved at least some of the claims and Bank of America mailed debit cards containing unemployment benefits to an address under Wheelen’s control, according to court documents.

Wheelen is scheduled for sentencing July 30.