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U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford is pleased to announce a series of criminal and civil enforcement actions to combat fraud involving federal pandemic relief funds. Since June 2026, the District of Oregon’s Covid Fraud Task Force has brought 12 enforcement actions involving more than $29 million in losses and thus far resulting in more than $8.6 million in recovery. Since 2020, the District’s COVID Fraud Task Force recovered more than $314 million and held fraudsters accountable through similar efforts.

Today, the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division along with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the SBA Office of Inspector General, as part of a Heartland Fraud Surge announced the results of Operation No Doze, a surge of criminal enforcement actions targeting fraud in SBA’s small business COVID-era loan programs.

A federal jury found Beniamin Lucescu, age 57, a Portland resident, guilty today of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Anchorage businesswoman was sentenced today to 3.8 years in prison for lying on federal loan applications and stealing identities to fraudulently obtain nearly $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – A Phoenix man who received over $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by submitting fraudulent applications was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jamar Johnson, 54, previously pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud.

Seattle – The final defendant of a six-defendant fraud scheme that submitted fraudulent applications seeking more than $6.8 million in COVID benefits was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.

LAS VEGAS – As a result of coordinated law enforcement actions in three states, seven men have been arrested and indicted in connection with submitting fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, totaling $205,639 in fraudulent loan proceeds. The takedown was conducted by the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; FBI Phoenix Division; FBI Houston Division, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department.

A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment on Tuesday charging two Provo, Utah, men with conspiring to steal over $5.5 million from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) through a fictitious payroll and bank fraud scheme. A third defendant previously pleaded guilty.

Tampa, FL – Yan Daniel Inclan Hernandez (32, Orlando) has been charged by indictment with one count of making a false Statement to a financial institution and three counts of wire fraud. If convicted on all counts, Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison per count. The indictment also notifies the defendant that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $157,500, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Bolden was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati to 48 months in prison for wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). At the time of his criminal conduct, Bolden was a detective with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). In addition to the prison term, Judge Gujarati ordered Bolden to pay restitution in the amount of $303,138 and forfeiture in the amount of $112,002. The defendant previously pleaded guilty on February 18, 2026.