DELAND, Fla. — Authorities in New Jersey indicted Terry Dilligard in a $2 million unemployment fraud case.
Dilligard is accused of running the scheme in 2009 while he was running for state representative. He is now running for a seat on the Volusia County council.
The New Jersey Attorney General said the Volusia County Commission candidate got the names and Social Security numbers of people while registering voters.
WFTV found out one of the victims is one of Dilligard's own relatives.
The relative said Dilligard brought the registration form to her to fill out so she could vote for him.
WFTV was also told most of the identities stolen belong to people who were felons and not allowed to vote in the first place.
However, a closer look at the form revealed that it never asks for a full Social Security number.
Andrea Lyles may have trusted Dilligard more than others whose identities he's accused of stealing. Dilligard is married to Lyles' cousin.
Lyles told WFTV it's ruined her credit.
Residents in DeLand said they cannot believe their former city commissioner has been indicted as part of a scheme to steal $2 million in false unemployment benefit claims in New Jersey.
“We put our trust in these people,” said DeLand resident Dick Richer.
The DeLand assistant city manager said Dilligard is the type who never missed a meeting while he served as city commissioner from 2003 to 2007.
“Very surprised,” said Assistant City Manager Dale Arrington. “Terry always seemed, and to the best of my knowledge, is a straight up guy. I'm shocked he would be so accused.”
The New Jersey attorney general indicted five members of Dilligard's family, including his son, daughter and their mother, on charges related to the scheme.
Investigators said the Dillagard’s worked their scheme when registering people to vote. They got their names, birthdates and Social Security numbers, and the forms did not even request the full Social Security number. Then, working with 30 co-conspirators, they used the names to file false unemployment claims in New Jersey, investigators said.
The state paid out nearly $1.5 million to Dilligard, Sr., his son and his son's girlfriend.
Another victim told WFTV he lost his disability income after Dilligard sold his information.
While many victims said investigators contacted them a year ago, one woman had no idea she was on the list of victims until WFTV told her.
Eyewitness News called and stopped by Dilligard's DeLand home, but no one answered.
Dilligard is charged with theft by deception and conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a five to 10 year state prison sentence.
This incident has revealed an entirely new issue. The Volusia County Supervisor of Elections found the majority of the victims whose Social Security numbers were used in the scheme are convicted felons and should not even be on the voter rolls.
The supervisor plans to launch an investigation.