(Court Reports - Photo Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

CHARLESTON — A Davisville man was put on probation Thursday for unlawfully obtaining unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Daniel Satow, 33, of Davisville was sentenced to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $21,238 in restitution, U.S. Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District of West Virginia said.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Dec. 20, 2020, Satow logged on to the WorkForce West Virginia website and applied for unemployment compensation, Thompson said. Satow admitted he was employed at the time and falsely claimed when he applied that he had not been gainfully employed since Sept. 9, 2020, and that the coronavirus pandemic prevented him from working, Thompson said.

Satow’s fraudulent application was approved and he received a debit card loaded with unemployment compensation benefits through the mail at his Davisville residence on Jan. 5, 2021, Thompson said. Satow admitted he used the debit card to make purchases for himself while knowing he had fraudulently obtained the benefits, Thompson said.

Satow admitted he continued to access the WorkForce West Virginia website for 26 consecutive weeks and each time falsely certified he remained entitled to unemployment compensation benefits, Thompson said. WorkForce West Virginia relied on Satow’s false answers and loaded additional benefits onto the debit card each week, Thompson said.

Benefits included supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program. Satow admitted he continued to use the debit card to make personal purchases, Thompson said.

The C.A.R.E.S. Act provided for a temporary emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits, referred to as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program, Thompson said. Although these benefits are administered by the states, they are funded in part by the federal government, Thompson said.

Thompson commended the investigation by the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chief District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.