PASADENA, Calif. — A grand jury has charged a Pasadena man with EDD fraud after he allegedly bought a Maserati SUV with falsely-obtained COVID-19 unemployment money.
Robert Sloan Mateer, 30, was handed a five-count indictment on Nov. 17 that included charges such as aggravated identity theft and being in possession of at least 17 unauthorized debit and credit cards with intent to defraud. Mateer, a previously convicted felon, was also reportedly found with methamphetamine and a gun.
According to a press release, Pasadena police arrested Mateer at a traffic stop on Oct. 1. Officers found 17 unemployment benefits debits cards in his Maserati, as well as other credit and debit cars, roughly $197,711 in cash, more than 85 grams of meth, and a loaded gun with no serial number.
During the investigation, police discovered that at least 14 of those 17 debit cards were loaded with about $133,000 in COVID-19 unemployment relief money. Some were issued to identity theft victims.
According to the affidavit, Mateer admitted to buying the Maserati SUV with the money he'd illegally obtained from the unemployment money. Mateer also said that he had "thousands" of identity profiles in his possession and that each debit car was loaded with about $14,500.
The nearly $200,000 in cash that police found in Mateer's car was reportedly withdrawn from ATMs across the Los Angeles area by his own admission.
Mateer was taken into federal custody on Oct. 21. Now, he is facing a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
This was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section and Anna P. Farias-Eisner of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture Section provided substantial assistance in this matter.
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