Brevard County man accused of participating in unemployment benefit fraud

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — During the pandemic, the FBI believes hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits are being stolen through fraud.

Now a Brevard County man is being accused of helping clean some of that dirty money as what investigators often refer to as a “money mule.”

A money mule, investigators explained, is someone who allows money to be wired into their account before wiring more of it back out, but keeping a part of it for themselves.

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Joseph Harrison, 43 is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Records show Harrison admitted to working as a money mule in the past, and admitted to knowing recent unemployment benefits from other states that were going into his account were fraudulent.

But in court on Thursday, he backed out of a signed agreement to plead guilty.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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