Russian-speaking California resident deceived received benefits for $ 350 thousand

Photo: depositphotos.com

Nikolai Monastyrsky from Sacramento for illegally receiving unemployment benefits illegally used student visas of compatriots in the United States. This is reported by the portal. SlavicSac.

According to the Iowa State Attorney's Office, a California resident is accused of creating fake 3 state firms and then using names taken from temporary student visas to receive unemployment benefits for non-existent employees. In total, Monastic received a sum of more than $ 355 thousand.

Nikolai Monastyrsky was convicted of fraud through a criminal scheme in Iowa Federal Court, which, according to prosecutors, was carried out in Iowa, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

A statement by Department of Labor Special Agent Dana Johnson of 10 in November said that Monastery was able to receive benefits in the amount of $ 114215 from Iowa and in the amount of $ 230 thousand from Illinois. Payments in Illinois began as early as 2012 and continued until the beginning of 2016. 2 non-existent businesses in Pennsylvania were also found that received payments in excess of $ 11 300.

The investigation revealed that Monastyrsky was sending claims for benefits from the computers of his home in Folsom, California. Banking video cameras filmed him receiving cash from the cards on which unemployment benefits were transferred.

Photo: depositphotos.com

The investigation began in 2013, when Illinois administration officials notified law enforcement agencies of a scheme with fictitious workers that they had discovered.

Monastery has used the names of several people who have received student visas in the United States. All of them visited the United States on an exchange program with temporary J-1 visas, the prosecution says. This program, designed for students, teachers, scientists and others, allows approximately 300 thousands of foreign visitors a year to come to the United States for cultural exchange. Guests of the country are given a work permit.

In Illinois, 21 people in whose name unemployment benefits were paid arrived on a J-1 visa and left the country before these benefits were paid.

In Iowa, 20 turned out to be such people who previously received student visas in the United States. Also in this state were used the names of 9 people, in whose name benefits were previously received in Illinois.

According to court documents, Monastic is charged with 14 counts - 7 mail fraud cases and 7 money transfer fraud cases. He was arrested on November 18 near Sacramento. Court documents were transferred to Iowa and published publicly on December 14.

On Thursday, Monastery was brought to trial in Des Moines, where he was assigned a public defender. He signed a document on his right to remain silent and to communicate with government representatives in the presence of a lawyer. According to court documents, he needed a translator from Russian.

Monastyrsky was transported to Davenport, where he remains in custody until a court hearing scheduled for January 6, where the possibility of his release on bail will be determined.

Immigration status of the Monastery is unknown. According to court documents, he was identified by records from bank surveillance cameras, which were compared to his photograph on the driving license of the state of Illinois.

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