NEWS • Press Releases

D.A. Bragg: Identity Theft Ring Indicted for Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Conspiracy

February 23, 2022

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of an identity theft and fraud ring for conspiring to steal pandemic-related unemployment benefits beginning in June 2020. Defendants TWANEK CUMMINGS, 31, DANEA THOMAS, 32, TERRY WRIGHT, 32, MYRA PARMLEY, 32, DAVID JOHNSON, 35, and CHENOA GILES, 34, used the personal identifying information of at least 19 identity theft victims to create unemployment assistance accounts with the New York State Department of Labor, and wrongfully obtain more than $135,000 in benefits.

In addition, CUMMINGS and THOMAS created unemployment assistance accounts on behalf of people who were ineligible to receive benefits, including FATOUMATA SEYNOU, 59, and RENE CINTRON, 21, who received a total of $30,000 in fraudulent benefits after being connected to THOMAS by MOHAMED BARRO, 30, and BOBBY CRUZ, 34. The indictment includes charges of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, Identity Theft in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. [1]

“The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was created to help those New Yorkers who urgently needed financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said District Attorney Bragg. “As alleged, these individuals masqueraded as nineteen unwitting victims, stealing $135,000 from the State of New York. My Office’s Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau will continue to unravel and prosecute frauds that harm our state’s ability to support New Yorkers hardest hit by the pandemic.”

“I commend Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, our partners in law enforcement and the Department of Labor Office of Special Investigations for their unrelenting dedication in tracking down and prosecuting fraud. If you commit unemployment insurance fraud, we will find you and you will face the full weight of the law,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “This system is designed to help New Yorkers during their greatest time of need. Stealing from this crucial assistance program, especially during a historic global pandemic, is an especially heinous crime.”

The indictment is the culmination of a year-long investigation conducted by the Manhattan D.A.’s Office using physical surveillance, court-authorized search warrants, analysis of financial records and phone records, and digital forensics.

According to documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court, from approximately June 2020 to November 2021, THOMAS, CUMMINGS, WRIGHT, and PARMLEY obtained the personal identifying information of hundreds of people and used some of that information to make at least nineteen online applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance from the New York State Department of Labor. CUMMINGS also purchased stolen identities online. At least one of the victim’s identities was obtained by IDEANIA HENDERSON, 42, who made copies of at least 200 personal checks containing the personal identifying information of more than 200 people from her former employer, and provided them to THOMAS.

Once an unemployment application and a corresponding bank account were created, the associated ATM card was sent to addresses controlled by the conspirators. JOHNSON directed that at least two ATM cards be mailed to the home of GILES. DENISE DUQUEN, 56, opened bank accounts in the names of at least two of the nineteen identity theft victims, which were used to receive Department of Labor funds. The accounts created with stolen identities received more than $135,000 in fraudulent benefits.

The investigation also uncovered a second scheme, in which CUMMINGS and THOMAS created unemployment assistance accounts on behalf of people who were ineligible to receive benefits. THOMAS texted multiple contacts falsely stating she worked for New York State and could secure unemployment payments in exchange for half of the benefits the person received. SEYNOU and CINTRON received more than $30,000 in fraudulent benefits after being connected to THOMAS by BARRO and CRUZ.

In November 2021, a court-authorized search warrant was executed at THOMAS’ home in the Bronx, and investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of personal identification information pertaining to more than 250 people, as well as dozens of forged credit cards and forged driver’s licenses. Fourteen of the forged driver’s licenses bore photographs of JOSEPH GOODWIN, 58, and 24 bore photographs of DUQUEN.

Assistant D.A. Alex Wynne is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Jeremy Glickman (Deputy Chief of the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau), Assistant D.A. Elizabeth Roper (Chief of the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau) and Executive Assistant D.A. Susan Hoffinger (Chief of the Investigation Division).

The following individuals assisted with the investigation: Cybercrime Analysts Sarah Bachman, Haley Fitzpatrick, Maria Corbisiero and former Cybercrime Analyst Charles Fraker, of the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau; Senior Computer Forensic Analyst Borislav Vestfrid, under the supervision of Steven Moran, Director of High Tech Analysis Unit, Investigators Pat Ludlow of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Supervising Rackets Investigator Greg Dunlavey and Walter Alexander, Chief Investigator of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau.

District Attorney Bragg thanked the New York State Department of Labor, and in particular Chief of Major Cases Unit Bonnie Mooney and former chief Michelle Martone; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shannon Woolard and Special Agent Charles Folami of the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.

Defendant Information:

TWANEK CUMMINGS
Bronx, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 27 counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 16 counts
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 1 count 
  • Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Second Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

DANEA THOMAS
Bronx, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 27 counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 16 counts
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 1 count 
  • Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Second Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

TERRY WRIGHT
Bronx, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 5 counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 3 counts

MYRA PARMLEY
Bronx, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 5 counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 3 counts

DAVID JOHNSON, a/k/a “DayDay”
New York, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts

CHENOA GILES
New York, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Welfare Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 4 counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 4 counts

DENISE DUQUEN

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 5 counts

JOSEPH GOODWIN

Charges:

  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 3 counts

IDEANIA HENDERSON
Westchester, New York

Charges:

  • Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

MOHAMED BARRO
New York, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 1 count 

FATOUMATA SEYNOU
New York, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 1 count 

RENE CINTRON
Bronx, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 1 count 

BOBBY CRUZ
Bronx, New York

Charges:

  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, 1 count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 1 count