On April 1, 2021, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee Ira Pratt was indicted for theft of Government money that is unemployment compensation benefits.

According to the court documents, from in or about May 2011 through in or about January 2019, Pratt worked as a tax examining technician for the IRS located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From on or about December 3, 2016 to on or about January 28, 2017, Pratt accessed through the internet the Interactive Claims Response System of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) on a weekly basis to answer a series of questions to establish his eligibility for unemployment compensation. The DLI administered State unemployment insurance programs, including a Federal unemployment insurance program for Federal Government employees who become unemployed. Eligibility for unemployment insurance required that the individual was unemployed through no fault of his or her own.

Pratt falsely stated that he was not working, that work was not available, and that he was eligible to receive unemployment compensation benefits from the DLI when, in fact, he was in work status at the IRS and he was not eligible to receive unemployment compensation benefits.

Pratt stole and knowingly converted to his own use money of the United States that is weekly unemployment compensation benefits paid by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor totaling approximately $4,590.

Source:  The facts in this case narrative come from the following publicly available document: E.D. Pa., Indict., April 1, 2021.