SCI Fayette Inmate Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has pled guilty on a charge of conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Amasa Camp, age 24, plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, before Judge Nora Barry Fischer on July 27, 2021.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Mr. Camp, an inmate at State Correctional Institution Fayette, conspired to commit mail fraud in order to obtain pandemic unemployment assistance benefits. Due to his incarceration, Mr. Camp was ineligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits because he was unemployed for reasons unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic and could not accept a job if one were offered. The desired benefit was to be mailed to an address in Philadelphia. However, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania flagged the defendant’s unemployment application as fraudulent, and no money was paid on the claim.

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9, 2021. The law provides for a total sentence of no more than five 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court remanded Mr. Camp to state custody to continue serving his undischarged state sentence.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that lead to the prosecution of Amasa Camp.