‘Rich and Unemployed’ Podcaster Jonathan Dupiton Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison Over Unemployment Scam During Pandemic
Jonathan Dupiton has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a multimillion-dollar unemployment scam during the COVID-19 pandemic
Black News 
“Rich and Unemployed” podcast host Jonathan Dupiton has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after being involved in a multimillion-dollar unemployment scam during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert sentenced the 36-year-old Atlanta resident on April 14, and he must serve three years of supervised release after serving his prison term.
Dupiton will be ordered to pay restitution to be determined at a future hearing. On Jan. 13, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“During the pandemic, while citizens were struggling with job loss and trying to make ends meet, Dupiton stole unemployment benefits by submitting false applications using hundreds of stolen identities,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg in a written statement. “His sentence underscores that anyone who seeks to exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be aggressively prosecuted and face substantial prison time.”
Hertzberg said the scheme took place in 2020, while Dupiton was in a halfway house following a fraud conviction that targeted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This particular scam targeted California’s Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits program, which he operated from July 2020 through early 2021.
Dupiton obtained hundreds of stolen IDs. He and his conspirators used the IDs to submit fraudulent unemployment benefit applications online via a VPN (virtual private network). After the applications were approved, Dupiton and his conspirators updated the applicants’ information to list mailing addresses in Georgia, including Dupiton’s. Debit cards containing the unemployment benefits were sent to those addresses. When the cards were received, Dupiton and others withdrew funds at various ATMs, mostly in the metro Atlanta area.
The scheme netted Dupiton and his crew approximately $3,800,000 in UI benefits. They withdrew or otherwise spent more than $2 million of the illegally obtained money.
“Jonathan Dupiton stole identities and filed hundreds of fraudulent claims to steal nearly $3 million in unemployment benefits meant for struggling Americans, said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “His sentencing sends a strong message: if you exploit federal programs and steal from taxpayers, my office will relentlessly pursue you. We work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners and have zero tolerance for fraud. We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
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