FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS12) — A 24-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to bank fraud and identity theft in a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in COVID-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) stated that from May 2020 through December 2022, Conrad Brandon Bernard executed a scheme to defraud the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and unemployment insurance programs. According to court records, he applied for 14 EIDLs using the personal information of others without their consent. Once the applications were approved by the US Small Business Association, the funds were directed to bank accounts controlled by Bernard, which were also opened using stolen identities.

The DOJ said Bernard also fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits from several states, including West Virginia and Arizona, using the personal information of others without their knowledge. In total, Bernard received $1,083,340 through these fraudulent activities.

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During the investigation, authorities said Bernard was in possession of numerous fake IDs, including fake passport cards and fake Florida driver’s licenses. He also had the means to create a false identification and possessed the personal information of several thousand people, including:

• Name
• Dates of birth
• Social security numbers

Bernard is scheduled for sentencing on February 5, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale. He faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, followed by a mandatory consecutive term of two years for aggravated identity theft, according to the DOJ.

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