Former USC Linebacker Arrested for Mail Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft

He allegedly orchestrated an operation where he and former USC teammates sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

Jackson State linebacker Abdul-Malik McClain has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of mail fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release. He allegedly fraudulently received hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

McClain, a former USC player, allegedly orchestrated the scheme alongside his former Trojans teammates back in 2020. He surrendered to police in Los Angeles on Monday morning and pleaded not guilty. He was released on $20,000 bond.

The 22-year-old organized the operation and helped some teammates in filing fraudulent claims where they lied about their prior employment, pandemic-related job loss, and job-seeking efforts in California, the indictment states. As a result of their actions, according to the indictment, Bank of America mailed the players debit cards that they used for personal expenses. Sometimes the cards had thousands of dollars on them in unemployment benefits. 

McClain and his former teammates allegedly filed applications in their own names, in the names of other friends and associates, and in the names of identity theft victims. The fraudulent applications were for $903,688 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and led the California Employment Development Department to pay out at least $227,736, per the release. 

Each mail fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years while the aggravated identity theft counts carry a two-year mandatory prison sentence. McClain will stand trial on Feb. 15. 

In October 2020, ESPN reported that his brother Munir was suspended by USC for his role in the scheme. Abdul-Malik transferred to Jackson State in December '20 but is no longer listed on the team roster. He appeared in one game for the Tigers in '21.