Atlanta podcaster sentenced to federal prison for unemployment benefit fraud scheme

An Atlanta podcaster will spend years in federal prison after prosecutors say he stole nearly $3 million in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorities say 36-year-old Jonathan Dupiton and his conspirators took part in a scheme that used the stolen identities of "hundreds of unwilling individuals."

According to officials, Dupiton, whose motto was "F.R.A.U.D. is Dope" (an acronym for "Finally Rich After Unstoppable Determination"), organized the scheme while already in a halfway house for a previous fraud conviction targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Prosecutors say the scheme targeted California's Unemployment Insurance benefits program to give financial assistance to workers who were suffering during the pandemic.

Using encrypted virtual private networks, Dupiton and others took the stolen identities to submit false unemployment insurance applications, officials say. After the claims were approved, the group updated the mailing addresses to locations in north Georgia, including Dupiton's address. They then used the mailed debit cards containing the benefits at ATMs across the metro Atlanta area.

Authorities say the California program was tricked into sending around $3.8 million to the group, which withdrew or spent more than $2 million of the funds.

In January, Dupiton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Last week, a federal judge sentenced the "Rich and Unemployed" podcaster to seven years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He will also have to pay restitution, the amount of which will be determined at a later date.