Pandemic Fraud Scheme Leads To Jail Time For Fredericksburg Family

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Four different family members from the Fredericksburg area have been sentenced for their role in a pandemic fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.

On Wednesday, 29-year-old Eric Wilhoit II was sentenced to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution for his role in the fraud scheme.

Odyssey Wilhoit, Dejhaun Wilhoit, and Jeremiah Wilhoit had already been sentenced for their roles in acquiring fraudulent pandemic benefits. Dejhaun and Jeremiah were sentenced to 66 months in prison. Odyssey was sentenced to 75 months in prison.

"They conspired to apply for pandemic unemployment benefits in their own names and in the names of others, many of whom were identity theft victims," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release. "Eric Wilhoit admitted that he instructed his co-conspirators on how to make the claims. The group then used VPNs and false or anonymized email addresses in an attempt to hide the fraud."

Prosecutors said the Wilhoits also recruited other people into the scheme so they could use their addresses to receive prepaid debit cards. Authorities claimed the Wilhoits used the money to buy a firearm, a diamond ring, a Chanel purse, and Louboutin shoes.

The Virginia Unemployment Commission estimated that the scheme caused a $1.7 million loss for the state.

When authorities attempted to arrest Eric Wilhoit, he fled, according to the news release. Wilhoit then led law enforcement on a chase before he crashed his car with his children in the backseat.