Home / Crime and Justice / Ex-USC Linebacker Scams Over $1M in COVID Funds
Ex-USC Linebacker Scams Over $1M in COVID Funds
21 Jan
Summary
- Former USC linebacker sentenced for orchestrating COVID-19 unemployment fraud.
- Scheme sought over $1 million in benefits, netting substantial fraudulent funds.
- McClain received time served and two years of supervised release.
- Restitution of $228,995 ordered for the former football player.
A U.S. district judge in Los Angeles sentenced former USC linebacker Abdul-Malik McClain to time served and two years of supervised release. He was accused of orchestrating a scheme that fraudulently sought more than $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment benefits.
Judge Otis D. Wright II also ordered McClain to pay $228,995 in restitution. McClain was arrested in December 2021 and faced multiple counts of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He ultimately pleaded guilty in June 2024 to one count of mail fraud.
The justice department stated McClain organized a group of football players to file fraudulent claims, including under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. These claims contained false information submitted to the California Employment Development Department, leading to large sums of money being issued on debit cards.
McClain's lawyer argued he faced acute financial pressure after his scholarship ended. The defense also claimed McClain did not design a complex scheme or exercise authority over others involved. His brother, Munir McClain, was also suspended by USC in October 2020 due to connections to the alleged scheme.
