More than four years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, stories of regular people and their ill-fated schemes to exploit pandemic aid programs continue to emerge. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss some of the cases featured in the 2024 COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force Report.

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Greg Kyte, CPA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyte
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/

Caleb Newquist
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquist
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/

Email us at [email protected]

Sources:

• COVID-19 FRAUD ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE 2024 REPORT [DOJ]
• How to Catch Pandemic Fraud? Prosecutors Try Novel Methods. [NYT]

Maryland

• Prince George’s County Man Pleads Guilty to a Federal Wire Fraud Conspiracy to Obtain Over $750,000 in COVID-19 CARES Act Loans and Unemployment Insurance Benefits [DOJ]
• Prince George’s County Man Pleads Guilty To A Federal Wire Fraud Conspiracy To Obtain Over $1 Million In Covid-19 Cares Act Loans And Unemployment Insurance Benefits [DOJ]
• Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for a Conspiracy to Obtain Over $1 Million in COVID-19 CARES Act Loans and Unemployment Insurance Benefits [DOJ]

Florida

• Seventeen Broward Sheriff’s Office Employees Charged with COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fraud [DOJ]
• Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy convicted at trial of COVID-19 relief fraud [DOJ]
• Florida Deputies Charged With Defrauding Covid Funds of Nearly $500,000 [NYT]
• Former Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy sentenced for Paycheck Protection Program fraud [Local10]
• South Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Covid-19 Relief Fraud, After Buying Jewelry and Luxury Cars with Loan Money [DOJ]
• Miami woman sentenced to 70 months in prison after using COVID-19 funds to gamble and launder money [DOJ]

Alpaca Farm

• Former North Shore Pizzeria Owner Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for COVID Fraud [DOJ]
• Man Gets 2 Years in Prison for Spending Pandemic Money on Alpaca Farm [NYT]

Final

• New Jersey Tax Preparer Charged in COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit Scheme [DOJ]
• CFO, Controller, Corporate Officers Charged in $53 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Pandemic Relief [DOJ]
• Former Florida State Representative Sentenced To Federal Prison For Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, And Making False Statements In Connection With COVID-19 Relief Fraud [DOJ]