Crime & Safety
Orange County Man Charged With Running ID Theft Scam
A Yorba Linda man was charged with mail fraud for allegedly using the stolen IDs of 200 people to file bogus unemployment insurance claims.
ORANGE COUNTY, CA -- A Yorba Linda man who allegedly used more than 200 stolen identities to fraudulently collect nearly $600,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD) was charged with two counts of mail fraud on Friday.
Jeffrey Silhanek, 39, allegedly used the stolen identities to obtain post office boxes and file claims with the state Employment Development Department.
Federal prosecutors said he contended in the claims that the person had been laid off, and he asked that the benefit checks be sent to the post office boxes.
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As a result, Silhanek allegedly collected at least $586,00 in bogus unemployment funds, prosecutors said.
Silhanek is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Santa Ana July 8.
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