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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to crimes related to buying firearms with stolen credit card information and leading a conspiracy to pick up the firearms in illegal straw purchases, as well as separately obtaining a fraudulent COVID-relief loan.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the United States Attorney’s Office’s (USAO-MDFL) Criminal, Asset Recovery, Appellate, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

James McAuliffe filed false claims for UI benefits using others’ personal identifying information without their knowledge and consent. He was sentenced to.60 months and ordered to pay $203,616 in restitution.

On Jan. 12, Eric Dean Sheppard, 55, of Bal Harbour, Florida, was convicted for submitting fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Denish Sahadevan, a/k/a “Danny Devan,” age 32, of Potomac, Maryland, today to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, relating to his scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $1.2 million in Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”). Judge Boardman also ordered that Sahadevan will forfeit the cash and Bitcoin seized during a search of his residence on...

Austin Martin Siampwizi, who laundered money procured from fraudulent unemployment claims filed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has pleaded guilty to a charge of money laundering conspiracy.