Man Accused Of Using Stolen UCSD Students' Info In Fraud Scheme

SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego man is facing 60 felony counts for allegedly stealing the personal information of UC San Diego students to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

Nehemiah Joel Weaver, 36, is accused of using stolen identities to take more than $200,000 in benefit payments from California's Employment Development Department and more than $27,000 from Arizona's Department of Economic Security.

Prosecutors allege at least some of the identities Weaver used were obtained from co-defendant Mia Nikole Bell, 31, a former UCSD employee.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Bell pleaded guilty last week to a felony bank fraud count, and admitted in her plea agreement to taking at least eight students' personal information.

— City News Service