Reports

A federal judge accepted the guilty plea of a South Florida tax preparer who prepared and submitted false tax forms to support more than 200 fraudulent loan applications under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothy Wadsworth, 35, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Following a two-week trial, a jury found Jia Bei Zhu, 64, a Chinese national, guilty of fraudulently selling more than a million COVID tests for nearly $4 million through his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), to customers across the United States and lying to the FDA about his identity and role with UMI.

Two brothers, and a public official they befriended, have been sentenced to prison for their roles to carry out schemes to obtain millions of dollars from victims. A federal jury previously convicted the three men for their roles in a multi-layered, elaborate bribery and fraud conspiracy that spanned multiple states and countries.

GERARD C. MOORER allegedly engaged in fraud related to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

BRANDI WRIGHT allegedly engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

BOSTON – A Brockton woman, who has been employed full-time as a Medical Technician with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs since August 2021, has been charged in federal court in Boston with wire fraud.

A Santa Clarita Valley tax preparer pleaded guilty today to fraudulently including false information on federal income tax returns to get substantial refunds for his clients – and cause large tax losses to the U.S. Treasury – and COVID-19 business-relief loan applications to obtain money he used for unauthorized purposes.

Mark Crosby, 43, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain two Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans.

Cymone McClellan also must forfeit the vehicles and real estate that she spent meal money to buy.