Man sentenced to prison in federal unemployment fraud case

An Arizona man was sentenced Thursday in Las Vegas to 30 months in federal prison for intending to fraudulently obtain nearly $239,000 in unemployment benefits.

Delashaun Dean, 32, of Tolleson, Arizona, pleaded guilty in February to one count of possession of counterfeit and unauthorized access devices.

Between Oct. 3 and Oct. 5, the Metropolitan Police Department found 15 unemployment benefits debit cards issued by the California Employment Development Department in Dean’s hotel room and on his person, according to court documents.

The debit cards were all in different names; none were in Dean’s name.

In addition, law enforcement found a fake driver’s license and a notebook containing personal identifying information of multiple individuals, which was used to apply for unemployment insurance benefits.

At least $238,914 in unemployment benefits were approved for claims associated with the recovered debit cards, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

Dean was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.