Duluth Man Charged With COVID-19 Relief Fraud

With so many families and small businesses struggling to stay afloat and food banks seeing miles of cars with people hoping to get some groceries this pandemic has caused a nationwide crisis like we have never seen in our lifetimes. Now many people nationwide are holding their breath waiting on round 3 of the COVID-19 relief package, but one Duluth man won't be seeing his check anytime soon.

34-year-old Jared John Fiege had devised and followed through to fraudulently receive COVID-19 relief through Unemployment Insurance and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. Records indicate this went on from at least April to August of 2020.

He was allegedly able to obtain the funds by submitting fake applications using stolen names birthdates and social security numbers of at least 25 people for unemployment insurance and the disaster loan program.

Not only did he allegedly use these other people names for this scam, but he also invented fake businesses that he linked to real people not even involved in any of this. And he impersonated people using fake passports, phone calls, fake bank accounts and e-mails.

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He was found possessing two firearms which he was prohibited from owning due to previous felony convictions.  In total," Fiege is charged with five counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of felon in possession of a firearm."

Hopefully this guy will be locked away for a long time, and all the people he posed as in this crime will be cleared of any wrong doing and not have to deal with long term consequences because of his selfish crimes. Identity theft is a real thing and we are all vulnerable to have ours stolen and used for scams like this. Protect yourself as best you can to help prevent guys like this from ever doing these kind of crimes.