A 36-year-old Orlando man will spend over six years behind bars for using stolen identities to pocket over $500,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
On Wednesday, Dexter Ray King was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered by the court to forfeit $549,375.50 in proceeds from his bank fraud scheme.
King was convicted of the above charges in January 2026 following a jury trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, King filed dozens of fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits across several states during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For many of the fraudulent claims, King used stolen identities of other individuals, along with fake addresses. However, once the claims were approved, King changed the addresses on the claims to his Orlando apartment, which ensured that the debit cards containing the fraudulently obtained government benefits were mailed to him.
King then used the debit cards to withdraw the funds from the bank. He also filed fraudulent claims using his own name, but he provided Social Security numbers that did not belong to him, which resulted in additional fraudulent benefits being deposited directly into his bank account.
As a result of this fraudulent scheme, King received nearly $550,000 in funds, which he spent on a new $77,000 SUV, a trip to Las Vegas, expensive restaurants, and luxury fashion brands.
A restitution hearing for King is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 29, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Department Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General.