David Ray, 68, of California, has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to tax fraud totaling nearly $3 million. The married trucker admitted to providing the personal information of 375 of his coworkers to his online girlfriend, Aryanah Davison, and her accomplice, Ardavan Alamoutinia, to file fraudulent unemployment claims.
Ray met Davison, of Pennsylvania, on a sugar baby website in 2019. He became infatuated and began sending her money, eventually buying her a new luxury SUV. When he found he could not financially support her lifestyle, he provided her with his coworkers' details.
Davison and Alamoutinia used the information, along with Ray, his wife, and their own names, to file approximately 500 fraudulent claims across 27 states, exploiting the COVID-19 era CARES Act. The scheme netted nearly $2.9 million, which was disbursed via debit cards. The funds were then withdrawn at ATMs and transferred to personal accounts or converted to cryptocurrency.
Prosecutors stated that Ray "sold out his colleagues for love, and a hundred thousand dollars." Ray received approximately $144,400 from the fraudulent activities. His defense attorney, Brian Getz, told the Daily Mail that Ray "will forever regret his fall from grace" and welcomed his punishment.
Ray pleaded guilty in March 2023 and acknowledged that he knew his actions were wrong. He told the judge that he struggled to control his impulses and has since sought therapy and relied on his family. His wife was present in court during his sentencing.
Alamoutinia was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison. Davison has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was tried in Pennsylvania, where Davison committed the fraud.