Saratoga Springs Man Sentenced for Misusing a Social Security Number to Obtain Unemployment Insurance Benefits

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Markhwan Berning, age 37, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was sentenced today to a year of probation for misusing a social security number.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Berning admitted that between May and July 2020, he obtained unemployment insurance benefits, including federal pandemic-related benefits, by falsely presenting to the New York State Department of Labor a fake social security number as his own.

Senior United States District Judge Lawrence A. Kahn also ordered Berning to pay a $2,000 fine and $16,383 in restitution to New York State.

This case was investigated by DOL-OIG, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.