BNF Podcast Host Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison After Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Scheme

On Tuesday (Apr. 12), BNF Podcast host Dmal aka Woody was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release as a result of his alleged involvement in a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) scheme.

According to the Department of Justice, Dmal, born Daniel Maleus, reportedly conspired with others to file over 50 fraudulent PUA claims using stolen identity information from April 2020 to April 2021. The claims were traced back to Maleus after it was discovered he created numerous fake e-mail acounts in the names of the stolen identity victims and directed the payments into bank accounts he controlled. Maleus and his co-conspirators reportedly made off with $526,523 in PUA funds as a result of the scheme. He was arrested and brought in on charges on April 8, 2021.

Maleus has been transparent about his journey and what’s been going on this past year on social media. The 33-year-old took to his platform to explain the charges and his next steps, back in December.

In November, Maleus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Due to the nature of the charges, the podcast host is to serve a mandatory two-year sentence related to the charge of aggravated identity theft. The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud both carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release.

However, Maleus will only be serving one additional year with three years of supervised release.

In addition to his sentence, U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel has ordered Maleus to pay $526,423 in restitution.