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U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Keon Ball, age 45, of Baltimore, Maryland to 66 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in relation to multiple identity theft schemes and fraud schemes—including schemes conducted while on probation after a past state fraud conviction and while on pre-trial release in connection with state fraud charges. The Court has ordered Ball to pay at least $715,504 in restitution.

BOSTON – A Wenham man pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to obtain Paycheck Protection Program funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by submitting false applications.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was charged on July 21, 2022 in connection with a scheme to submit false applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) funds through the Small Business Administration (SBA) which were made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

BOSTON – The owner of a Massachusetts-based food truck business has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly filing fraudulent loan applications in order to obtain $1.5 million in pandemic relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Randy Xavier Jones (34, Sarasota) to five years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit proceeds traceable to the offense, including 12 fraudulently obtained prepaid debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits to which Jones was not entitled. Jones had pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022.

A San Fernando Valley certified public accountant pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for helping a long-time client fraudulently obtain a $1.2 million COVID-19 business loan by knowingly preparing a false corporate tax return on the client’s behalf.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Amber Rewis Bruey (35, Lehigh Acres) to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal monetary transactions. Her husband and co-conspirator, Anthony James Bruey, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for the same offenses. Mr. and Ms. Bruey had pleaded guilty on February 4, 2022, and March 16, 2022, respectively.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Oluwaseyi Akinyemi, a/k/a “Paddy Linkin”, a/k/a “Joseph Kadin”, age 35, of Hyattsville, Maryland, yesterday to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for two counts of mail fraud relating to a social media advanced fee fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. Judge Chuang also ordered Akinyemi to pay $486,119.07 in restitution to his victims.

Today, 42-year-old Royal Palm Beach, Florida resident Omar Smith pled guilty in South Florida federal court to lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small businesses financially survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Justice Department announced today that MorseLife Health System Inc. (MorseLife) has agreed to pay the United States $1.75 million to resolve its potential liability under the False Claims Act for facilitating COVID-19 vaccinations for hundreds of individuals ineligible to participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program (LTC PPP), a program specifically designed to vaccinate long-term care facility (LTCF) residents and staff when doses of COVID-19 vaccine were in limited supply at the beginning of the CDC COVID-19...

BOSTON – A Wenham man was charged today in connection with a scheme to obtain Paycheck Protection Program funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by submitting false applications.

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Dana Lamar Antonio Hayes, Jr., age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was returned on June 23, 2022, and unsealed upon his arrest. Hayes will have an initial appearance today at 3:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner.

A federal district judge in Miami sentenced the last of five defendants for his role in a health care fraud scheme operated out of a physical therapy clinic in Doral.

BOSTON – The former owner of a massage parlor was sentenced yesterday in connection with filing for and obtaining fraudulent pandemic-related loans for her illicit business where workers engaged in commercial sex acts with customers.

BOSTON – The former owner of a massage parlor pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with filing fraudulent applications for pandemic-related loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in which she failed to disclose that her employees engaged in commercial sex acts with customers.

BOSTON – A Stoughton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with filing a fraudulent loan application in order to obtain over $400,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds.

Eight defendants were charged in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania today with scheming to fraudulently obtain more than $7 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and pre-pandemic Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Levelle Joseph Harris (36, Kissimmee) has surrendered pursuant to an indictment charging him with 14 counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Harris had been indicted on June 7, 2022.

BOSTON – A Winchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with filing fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $13 million in forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for COVID-19 relief through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman was arrested in Utah on federal charges related to stealing the identity of a baby who died as an infant. The woman allegedly used the infant’s identity to obtain a passport, a student pilot license, a job as a flight attendant, admission into The Ohio State University and pandemic relief loans.

A federal jury in Detroit convicted a Michigan man today for a wire fraud and money laundering scheme to obtain more than $4.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident and owner of a Massachusetts-based painting company has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly filing a fraudulent loan application to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison for filing fraudulent loan applications that sought over $100,000 in loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

An Orange County man has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges that he fraudulently obtained more than $5 million in COVID-relief loans for three sham companies.

CINCINNATI – A former insurance agent was arrested this morning on federal charges alleging he defrauded dozens of victims in the Cincinnati and Dayton area and fraudulently obtained two COVID Paycheck Protection Program loans.

DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Daniel Stonebarger, age 50, of Highlands Ranch, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.