SPRINGFIELD, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former St. Clair County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy and a former county jail inmate were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a wire fraud scheme.

Michael E. Mullaney, 52, of Lowry City, Mo., and William E. Parker, 52, of Fort Ritchie, Fla., formerly of Urich, Mo., were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.

Mullaney was a deputy with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department who arrested Parker for first degree burglary on Feb. 20, 2010. While Parker was incarcerated, the indictment says, he and Mullaney devised a scheme to defraud Work Force West Virginia to claim unemployment benefits for Parker to which he was not entitled.

Today’s indictment alleges that Mullaney obtained personal information from Parker in order to make Parker’s claim for unemployment benefits through Work Force West Virginia. Mullaney allegedly completed an Internet form with Parker’s personal information to fraudulently certify Parker’s eligibility for unemployment benefits. Parker was not eligible for unemployment benefits, the indictment says, because he was not available and willing to accept full-time suitable work while he was incarcerated.

As a result of the fraud scheme, the indictment says, Parker received $5,388 on a bank debit card between Feb. 25 and May 10, 2010.

Today’s indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Mullaney and Parker to forfeit to the government $5,388, which represents the proceeds obtained from the alleged offense.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the St. Clair County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Work Force West Virginia Unemployment Compensation Division.