Just like a ship captain being the last one to leave a sinking ship in distress, on November 2, 2024, Mark “Big Head” King was the last defendant to be sentenced in a long running prosecution for unemployment fraud. “Big Head?” More like “Big Fraud.” King was the ringleader of a group of twenty other co-conspirators in a multi-state scheme to steal unemployment benefits.
Using the fictitious business names of Diamond K Construction, King’s Construction, JC Construction, and Topline, King created employer business accounts in sixteen states, including Arkansas – all created solely for the business of fraud. King then falsely reported to the various state unemployment agencies that the fictitious companies had paid wages to him and his co-conspirators for work, when in fact, that was not true. For some of these individuals, it was virtually impossible as they were actually incarcerated at the time of their supposed employment, contrary to the eligibility requirement that a claimant must be available for work!
From June 2012 through August 2017, King and the other co-conspirators then made claims for unemployment benefits. Because King did not contest the unemployment benefits on behalf of the fictitious businesses, these conspirators were paid by the Department of Labor.
King was sentenced to six years in prison and full restitution. In total, he stole over a half a million dollars from U.S. taxpayers.
Excellent job by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General in this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Judsonia Man Sentenced To Time Served In Unemployment Fraud Cause, Ordered To Repay $502,191” published by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette on November 2, 2024
A White County man who was the reputed ringleader of a conspiracy that resulted in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in unearned jobless benefits was sentenced Friday to time served and ordered to pay just over a half-million dollars in restitution six years after he and 20 other people were indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Mark “Big Head” King, 59, of Judsonia, was the final defendant to be sentenced in the long-running prosecution. He pleaded guilty Oct. 13, 2023 to the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.