Reports

NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that IRVIN C. FRANCOIS, III (“FRANCOIS”), age 53, of New Orleans, was indicted on June 20, 2025 for making false statements, and money laundering, related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

TONY STERLIN CANTAVE, 45, of Shelton, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven for defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic relief program.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Earl Lamont Taylor, 52, was sentenced to six years in prison Monday and will be ordered to pay over half a million dollars in restitution to the Small Business Administration. Taylor went to trial in November and ultimately pled guilty to one count each of bank fraud and wire fraud while the jury was deliberating. He received almost $300,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 loans. This fraud was part of a multimillion-dollar national scheme, and, to date, more than 30 defendants have pled guilty and 29 have been sentenced.

A New Jersey man admitted to fraudulently obtaining approximately $617,991 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adepoju Babatunde Salako, 32, of Pennsylvania, has been charged with six counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

KAREN GASTON, 44, of East Granby, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million.

DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Richard Nieto, age 39, of Morrison, Colorado, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $962,438.85 in restitution for engaging in wire fraud and money laundering in connection with obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A former politician who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters.