Deputy District Director to United States Congressman Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Covid-Relief Benefits

The Deputy District Director to an Illinois United States congressman has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $31,000 in unemployment insurance benefits during the Covid pandemic.

Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud.

Gerard C. Moorer engaged in fraud related to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) program, one of the sources of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act,according to an indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The indictment alleges that in May 2020, Moorer filed a fraudulent application for PUA benefits in which he claimed to have met Covid-related reasons for being unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to work, or unavailable to work.

Moore’s application was approved, and over approximately the next 16 months, he continued to submit fraudulent certifications of his purported unemployment to continue receiving the benefits, the indictment states.

In reality, Moorer knew that he was in fact employed by the federal government as an aide to the Illinois Congressman at the time of his application and certifications, the indictment states.

As a result of the fraud, Moorer obtained $31,887 in PUA benefits to which he was not entitled, the indictment states.

Moorer, 42, of Chicago, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court is scheduled for May 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz.

U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the indictment along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, and Erin Silk, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Smith and William Hogan.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Moorer was a longtime aid to retiring Congressman Danny Davis. The Congressman was unaware of the crimes.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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