NC Man Sentenced In Rhode Island To 5 Years For CARES And FFCRA Act Fraud: Feds

He was also ordered to pay $2.8 million restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

By Joseph Hosey, Patch Staff

Nov 2, 2026 12:51 PM EST

A North Carolina man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance benefits funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security and Families First Coronavirus Response Acts, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Irvin Vilneus, 34, pleaded guilty in January "to multiple federal offenses, including three counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a media release.

Vilneus, a resident of Barbecue and formerly of Florida, was also ordered to pay of $2,8 million restitution and forfeited his residence and $45,899 in cash and jewelry, the release said.

"According to court documents, Vilneus executed a complex scheme using stolen personal identifying information of over 150 persons to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits that were made available during the COVID-19 pandemic by the CARES and FFCRA Acts in multiple states, including Rhode Island," the release said.

"In the fraudulent applications, Vilneus directed the unemployment benefits to be deposited into bank accounts that he had fraudulently opened, using the personal identifying information of other people," according to the release. "Over approximately eight months, Vilneus stole approximately $2.8 million in government benefits."

"This sentence reflects the seriousness of a fraud scheme that used stolen identities to obtain federal benefits intended to help Rhode Islanders struggling during the COVID- 19 pandemic," said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. "The CARES Act was designed to provide a lifeline to people in crisis, not an opportunity for criminals to enrich themselves. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who target vital federal relief programs and betray the public's trust."

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division Ted E. Docks said in the release that Vilneus "treated the pandemic as his own personal cash cow."

"In doing so, he used the identities of hundreds of unsuspecting consumers," Docks said. "What he did was downright shameful, and this sentence ensures he'll have plenty of time to think about the consequences of his crimes while behind bars. Know that your FBI and our partners are working every day to root out and crack down on con artists who exploit federally funded relief programs for their own personal gain."