Ex-USC Football Player Abdul-Malik McClain Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Scam

Ex-USC Football Player Abdul-Malik McClain, Facing 20 Years In Prison After Pleading Guilty To COVID-19 Scam

An ex-USC football player has pleaded guilty to scamming over $280,000 in COVID-19 unemployment payments and illegally requesting over $1 million in benefits.

Former linebacker, Abdul-Malik McClain, who’s from Atlanta but most recently lived in Coto de Caza, Orange County, has pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, per ESPN.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the ex-USC football player, who recorded two sacks during his three years with the Trojans, and his brother, fellow Trojan Munir McClain, were the subjects of a federal investigation.

They were investigated in 2020, over their possible involvement in the fraudulent acquisition of benefits from the Employment Development Department of California.

McClain’s brother caught two touchdown passes last season after being transferred to Utah, while the linebacker himself was a player at Jackson State before his arrest in 2021.

He is expected to be sentenced on September 16th. Initially, McClain was charged with ten mail fraud charges and two counts of aggregated identity theft. He’s currently facing twenty years in prison, which is the maximum penalty for the crime.

Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney said in a released statement that, “Instead of using his time at a major university to advance his athletic and academic life, this defendant took advantage of a public health emergency to fraudulently obtain government benefits.”

“My office will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who used the recent pandemic for their own unlawful ends,” Attorney Martin added.