Two arrested for unemployment fraud

Auditor Shad White announced that special agents from his office arrested Brandon Williams and Miranda Trulove on charges of conspiring to defraud the state of Mississippi to obtain illegal unemployment benefits from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) while Williams was incarcerated and therefore ineligible Unemployment benefits had benefits.

Williams made several phone calls from prison to Trulove, his then-wife, asking her to help him apply for unemployment benefits. Williams allegedly received the illegal benefits through a Way2Go debit card. The unemployment card was then used multiple times by Trulove.

“These are the most recent arrests we have made for unemployment fraud,” said Auditor Shad White. “We will continue to use the latest technology and investigative techniques to uncover fraud. This has allowed us to raise more money in the last five years than in any other five-year period.”

If convicted, Williams and Trulove each face up to five years in prison and a $1,000 fine. All individuals arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Suspected fraud can be reported to the auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or by calling 1-(800)-321-1275 during normal business hours.