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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.

The founder of a now-shuttered non-profit organization has been indicted on federal charges alleging he bribed then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Hoang Do to obtain approximately $12 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related funds, pocketed the bulk of that money, then laundered it to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Justice Department announced today.

Angelo Stephen, 33, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, 47, a former Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, were sentenced in separate cases after pleading guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programs.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Carnisha Maurica Rogers (30, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of false representation of a Social Security number (SSN) involving a line of credit scheme, and one count of wire fraud involving COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Rogers faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count involving wire fraud, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the false representation of an SSN count, and payment of restitution to the victims she...

A New Jersey man was sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $149,900 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) loans.

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph Giannini, 54, of Chicago, IL, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Fourteen defendants – including San Fernando Valley and Glendale residents – were arrested on two federal criminal complaints alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $25 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally-guaranteed small business loans.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Robert Crust, age 46, formerly of Greeley, Colorado, and Bethany Williams, age 44, of Parker, Colorado, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Colorado.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joseph Ronald Trenkle, 54, formerly of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and currently of Dorado, Puerto Rico, has been charged in a criminal information with one count each of wire fraud and money launderin

Yesterday, Tramaine Liptrot, 43, a police officer with the City of Miami Police Department (MPD) who has been relieved of duty, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling over $200,000.

The last of three defendants made his initial appearance in Miami federal court yesterday to face an indictment charging the men with conspiracy to commit wire fraud while scheming to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

Tyree Jones, 33, filed fraudulent applications for himself and also offered to help others obtain PPP and EIDL funds in exchange for “kickbacks” from any funds they received.

Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced David Epstein, 46, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to one year and one day in federal prison and 12 months of home incarceration. The sentence is in connection with his previous guilty plea to one count of wire fraud for submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications.

The owner of Theophin Consulting LLC has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining Covid-19 relief loan proceeds under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) program.

A San Diego restaurant owner was sentenced to 42 months in prison for schemes to defraud COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns.

SAN DIEGO – Restaurateur Leronce Suel was sentenced in federal court today to 42 months in prison for submitting more than $1.7 million in fraudulent applications for COVID relief programs and failing to report the income to the IRS.

A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with tax evasion and wire fraud.

Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Michael Cooley, Jr., aka “Micheal Cooley Jr.,” “5Micmusik,” and “Michael White,” age 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 87 months in federal prison. In January 2025, Cooley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD).

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, announced the indictment of two businessmen, a certified public accountant, and four Puerto Rico-based companies for a fraudulent scheme to illegally obtain federal recovery funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, bribe a bank employee, and launder the fraudulent proceeds of the scheme.

Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Joshua Robinson (32, Texas) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

A federal grand jury has returned a 43-count indictment charging a music label owner and purported anti-gang activist who is a long-time leader of a South Los Angeles street gang with dozens of felonies, including fraud, robbery, extortion, tax evasion, embezzlement of donations to his charity that receives public money, and running a racketeering conspiracy in which he allegedly murdered an aspiring musician, the Justice Department announced today.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Sean Walker, 34, of High Springs, Florida, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for wire fraud in connection with COVID-19 relief fraud. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Baltimore , Maryland – David Godin, 34, aka “James St Patrick,” aka “David Wetty,” aka “Vic Pro,” of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Godin attempted to defraud MD-DOL and CA-EDD of more than $2.3 million in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two brothers from Sedona, Arizona, pleaded guilty for conspiring with one another and others to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) out of nearly $109 million in loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PROVIDENCE – Four Florida residents convicted in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island for executing one of the largest schemes in the country to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act programs, including in Rhode Island, have been sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Andra Shirone Thompson, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to a year and a day for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Thompson pled guilty to conspiring to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loan programs and his role in a years-long scheme to defraud commercial equipment financing companies

ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke woman, who conspired with dozens of other individuals to commit wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Crystal Denean Harvell (37, Jacksonville) to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a line of credit scheme and wire fraud involving COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The court also ordered Harvell to pay $131,782.63 in restitution to the victims she defrauded and to the United States government. Harvell agreed to forfeit $20,415, which is traceable to proceeds of the wire fraud offense involving COVID relief fraud. Harvell entered a guilty plea on September...

Diarra Williams and Nicholas Warford were indicted with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.

A woman from the Mid-City area of Los Angeles was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in COVID-19 government loans and to submitting false claims in an unsuccessful effort to secure from the IRS nearly $1.3 million in pandemic-related tax credits, the Justice Department announced today

BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston for a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Martin Kao, 51, of Honolulu, was sentenced today in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 87 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised released for COVID-relief wire fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud.

A Collin County man and a Floridian have been convicted of federal violations related to a COVID fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).