Former Michigan UIA contractor sentenced in fraud scheme

A former unemployment insurance agency contractor was sentenced Thursday for her involvement in a fraud and identity theft scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Autumn Mims, 31, of Detroit was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith to 65 months in prison after pleading guilty to engaging in aggravated identity theft and conspiring to engage in wire fraud, said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison of the Eastern District of Michigan in a news release.

Mims, a former unemployment insurance examiner for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, admitted to being involved in a criminal conspiracy with William Haynes, 27, of Detroit, a former unemployment agency worker, Ison said.

Haynes, who pleaded guilty in July, is expected to be sentenced in February, according to the release.

"We remain committed to prosecuting those who choose to enrich themselves by stealing government funds earmarked for those members of our community who are truly in need," Ison said.

Mims admitted to conspiring to obtain illegitimate uninsurance benefits issued in the names of third parties without their knowledge or permission after she was hired in August 2020, prosecutors said. While working for the agency, Mims' responsibilities were to review, process and verify the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.

As part of the scheme, Haynes altered direct deposit information for the claims and accessed claim information without authorization. He completed fraudulent certifications for benefits, opened bank accounts in the names of third parties and provided stolen identification information to Mims, and withdrew cash in the names of the third parties, prosecutors have said.

Mims also was accused of fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance benefits for herself, claiming that she was unemployed, according to prosecutors.

She was ordered to pay $583,409 in restitution.

Mims' "decision to conspire in order to obtain unlawful uninsurance benefits for personal profit while businesses and families were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic is unconscionable," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Further, Ms. Mims’ actions were a direct betrayal of the public trust granted to her as a contract unemployment insurance examiner for the State of Michigan."

UIA Director Julia Dale said Mims' criminal scheme tarnished the work that UIA staff performed during the global pandemic.

"She does not by any stretch reflect the outstanding work habits of UIA’s professional employees, who abide by strict ethics and security clearance policies," Dale said. "I am proud of the dedication demonstrated every day in service to their fellow Michiganders and employers. UIA will continue to work with law enforcement at the local, state and federal level to ensure that bad actors are brought to justice."

jaimery@detroitnews.com