A married couple from San Diego are accused of using the personal information of homeless people, low-income individuals and jail detainees in order to apply for benefit payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an indictment unsealed Monday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Demetrius Montre McFarland, 30, and Alexandra Crystal McFarland, 32, took part in a scheme to use others' personal identifying information to apply for Economic Impact Payments (EIP) from the IRS.
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Alexandra McFarland allegedly approached low-income and homeless people during 2020, obtained their personal information, then told them they could expect to receive an EIP in the mail. Her husband, who is now serving a state prison term for attempted murder, also solicited personal information from his fellow detainees at the Vista Detention Center, prosecutors said.
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The U.S. Attorney's Office said Alexandra McFarland claimed she would help individuals with the application process in exchange for a certain portion of the EIP, but would ultimately keep all of the payment or more than agreed upon.
According to the indictment, she also used personal information to apply for benefits from California's Employment Development Department.
She allegedly used EDD debit cards obtained through those applications to allegedly buy "thousands of dollars of jewelry, nearly $9,000 in furniture that she shipped to her Spring Valley residence, and to cover part of a $60,000 down payment for a Mercedes-Benz G-Class 550 SUV," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
