Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 | 6:10 p.m.
A California man could face up to 17 years in prison after federal prosecutors charged him with unemployment insurance benefits fraud while in Las Vegas, acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the district of Nevada said in a release Friday.
Breon Dante Mims, 30, made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Elayna Youchah after he was charged with one count of illegal transaction with access devices issued to other persons, and one count of aggravated identity theft, Chiou’s office said in the release. Mims, of Stockton, California, allegedly used multiple California Employment Development Department unemployment benefits debit cards in others’ names without their authorization.
Mims was stopped by Metro on Sept. 20, 2020, after he was seen smoking marijuana in public, according to the release. During the stop, officers searched his backpack and discovered 10 EDD debit cards — none of which were in Mims’ name; $10,080 in cash; and narcotics including ecstasy and hydrocodone pills.
Prosecutors say Mims withdrew at least $77,000 from various ATMs in Nevada and California using the fraudulently obtained EDD cards. At least $261,600 in benefits were approved for unemployment claims associated with the cards, according to the release.
