A federal grand jury has indicted Anthony Mark Silva, 40, of Manchester, New Hampshire, on charges related to a scheme that allegedly defrauded the California Employment Development Department (EDD) of more than $700,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. The indictment includes nine counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, from July 2020 through June 2021, Silva is accused of filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with EDD. These claims sought Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Prosecutors allege that Silva collected personal information—including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers—of multiple individuals to submit these claims.
The filings stated that claimants had lost employment or could not find work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities say these representations were false because some claimants were not unemployed or otherwise ineligible for California unemployment insurance benefits. In some cases, Silva allegedly did not have permission to file on their behalf.
EDD approved dozens of these fraudulent claims and instructed Bank of America to send out debit cards loaded with benefit funds. According to investigators, Silva activated these cards and used the money for his own expenses. The scheme reportedly resulted in losses exceeding $700,000 for EDD and the United States government.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and EDD’s Investigation Division. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said: “A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment today against Anthony Mark Silva, 40, of Manchester, New Hampshire, charging him with nine counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.”
If convicted on all charges, Silva faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each bank fraud count. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year prison term consecutive to any other sentence imposed by the court. Sentencing would be determined based on statutory factors and federal guidelines if there is a conviction.
Prosecutors emphasized that “the charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
