A man from Monroe, Louisiana, has admitted in federal court to conspiring to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits while he was incarcerated. Travis Thorn, 45, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in submitting fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
According to information presented in court, Thorn worked with another individual to apply for the benefits even though he was not eligible as an inmate at the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Some of the funds received were deposited into his prison commissary account.
The unemployment benefits involved were part of the federal CARES Act program created during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act was enacted on March 29, 2020, and expanded states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance to a wider range of workers affected by the pandemic.
Thorn was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 19, 2025. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 17, 2026. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger announced the plea along with Mississippi State Auditor Shad White and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) Southeast Region.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor OIG and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is handling prosecution.
This case is part of efforts by the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF), which includes representatives from several federal agencies such as FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG and others working together with state workforce agencies and financial institutions nationwide to address widespread UI fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs.
“Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.”
