A man from Natchez, Mississippi has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to COVID-19 unemployment benefits. According to court documents, Kev’Veonta Short, 32, worked with other inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institute to file false unemployment insurance claims during the pandemic. Short gave his personal information to another inmate who then submitted fraudulent claims in his name. The scheme involved submitting similar applications for several other inmates.
Two of Short’s coconspirators, Adrian Wilson and Aaron Sanders, have already pleaded guilty to the same charge. Wilson is set for sentencing on June 23, 2026, while Sanders will be sentenced on June 11, 2026. Short’s sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2026. Each faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Office of the Public Auditor.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is handling the prosecution.
