A Kunkletown man has been charged with using his daughter’s identity to wrongfully obtain unemployment benefits of over $25,000.

Detective Alexander Marek of the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney filed paperwork against Craig Mc­Kenna:

On Oct. 7, McKenna’s daughter called the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division to report she had become aware that her identity was used to obtain unemployment compensation benefits.

McKenna said that in March 2020 when she was 17 years old, she was laid off from her job as a part-time restaurant worker due to the COVID pandemic.

Her father, Craig Mc­Kenna, 37, helped her fill out the application, using her personal identifying information on May 10, 2020, but used her home address for the mailing address, and his cellphone number and email address for the contact information.

Two checks were issued in her name in the amount of $1,750, and $3,240, and were signed with her name, and Mc­Kenna’s name on the back of the checks.

Both checks were electronically deposited into her father’s bank account on May 14, 2020.

The victim said she didn’t know about them, and that she did not sign her name to the checks for McKenna to deposit into his bank account.

Four more checks were issued and deposited the same way.

On June 1, 2020, Mc­Kenna received an email notification from PDU that the payment was being sent via check form to McKenna’s address.

On or about June 10, 2020, McKenna received an email notification stating a U.S. Bank ReliaCard would be delivered and the PUIA funds would be loaded onto the card to replace paper checks. The U.S. Bank ReliaCard was issued in McKenna’s name.

The victim moved out of McKenna’s home in April 2021.

In August 2021, her aunt saw McKenna had a debit card for unemployment compensation benefits, despite McKenna being employed at the time.

The aunt brought the information to the victim, who thought her claim was denied.

According to court papers, McKenna was involved in a similar scheme several years ago. In 2009, McKenna was charged with identity theft, access device fraud, and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.

The victim contacted the organization administering the unemployment funds and verified that funds, including an initial lump sum, were issued in the name of the victim’s account using her personal identifying information beginning around June 2020 and running through August 2021.

The victim said Mc­Kenna’s phone number and email address were being used to control the account, and she was provided the transaction records for the debit card, which have her and Mc­Kenna’s address on the statements.

The ReliaCard Bank records indicated an attempt to transfer $1,000 in funds from the debit card to the personal checking account of McKenna on Sept. 17, 2020.

The transaction was denied, but a $500 cash withdrawal was made the same date and another $200 withdrawal on Sept. 18. 2020.

On Sept. 20, 2020, Mc­Kenna deposited $200 via the ATM into his Citizen’s Bank checking account. On Feb. 3, 2021, $500 was withdrawn from the debit card and that same day $500 was deposited via the ATM into Mc­Kenna’s checking account. The debit card records indicate there was notification to McKenna when the funds were deposited to the card.

In total, the amount fraudulently acquired by McKenna from the unemployment account in his daughter’s name was about $25,951.

McKenna faces charges on six counts of forgery, and one count each of identity theft, access device fraud forgery; and theft by deception.

He is currently free on $10,000 unsecured bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing May 13 before District Judge Collen Mancuso of Brodheadsville.