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Washington Tech Executive Sentenced for Covid-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
A Washington state tech executive was sentenced today in the Western District of Washington to two years in prison for perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 disaster relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Controls Over Federal Funded Programs and Maximization of Federal Funding
We have conducted an audit of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) to determine whether its Division of Housing and Community Renewal (Division) is obtaining federal reimbursements on time and in a manner that recovers all costs, and adequately ensures the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) meets federal reimbursement documentation requirements. The audit covered the period from April 1, 2017 through December 31, 2020.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Unemployment Benefits Fraud
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Tallahassee, Florida, man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to use 17 victims’ identities (without their consent) to unlawfully submit fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits claims, totaling at least $385,000.
Office of Management and Budget Report - Fourth Quarterly Report
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act requires the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with Department of the Treasury, the Council of Economic Advisers, and the Small Business Administration, to issue quarterly reports to Congress and the public on the economic impact of certain coronavirus funds. This is the fourth quarterly report issued.
South Florida Political Consultant Charged with Defrauding Covid-19 Relief Program
Federal prosecutors have charged 28-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident Damara Holness with 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.
Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud For COVID-Relief Fraud Scheme
A Georgia woman pleaded guilty today in the Northern District of Georgia for perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $7.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Deficiencies in COVID-19 Screening and Facility Response for a Patient Who Died at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection regarding allegations of incompletely screening for COVID-19 and treatment of a patient with serious mental illness who presented for same-day care at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (facility).The OIG substantiated that facility staff did not complete the patient’s COVID-19 temperature screening.The OIG substantiated that facility staff failed to medically manage the patient with COVID-19 symptoms, sent the patient to the drive-through testing area without medical evaluation, and did not isolate the patient...
Pharmacist Arrested for Selling COVID Vaccination Cards Online
A licensed pharmacist was arrested today in Chicago on charges related to his alleged sale of dozens of authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay.
COVID-19 Forbearance Data in HUD’s Single Family Default Monitoring System Generally Agreed With Information Maintained by Loan Servicers
We audited lender reporting of COVID-19 forbearances for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans in the Single Family Default Monitoring System (SFDMS). We compared default reporting data from SFDMS to loan data provided by five sampled servicing lenders that serviced a third of the FHA single-family portfolio. Our audit objective was to determine whether COVID-19 forbearance data available in SFDMS were consistent with the information maintained by loan servicers. We found that COVID-19 forbearance data available in SFDMS were generally consistent with the information maintained by...
Audit of the Coronavirus Relief Benefit Payments and Internal Controls
The preliminary objectives of this audit cover the extended unemployment and sickness benefits that were appropriated through the CARES Act, CARWA, and ARPA to determine if (1) they were accurately expended, recorded, and reported and (2) internal controls were effective, including fraud controls.
California Man Charged With Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – In a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, a Stockton, California, man has been charged for allegedly using multiple California Employment Development Department (EDD) unemployment insurance benefits debit cards in other peoples’ names without their authorization.
The Small Business Administration’s Implementation of Recommended Controls and the Economic Aid Act
SBA implemented or initiated action on all the OIG recommendations to strengthen internal controls related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Economic Aid Act continued assistance under the PPP for small businesses financially affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. We found SBA implemented the PPP in accordance with the Economic Aid Act with two exceptions. SBA did not 1) require an assessment of affiliation for faith-based organizations which contradicts its internal control procedures and 2) issue guidance regarding farm credit system institutions to ensure requirements...
Disaster Preparedness of Federal Agencies
HUD OIG will summarize the conclusions/findings and recommendations reported by seven participating OIGs and the General Accountability Office related to natural disaster preparedness. Our objective is to inform Federal agencies and the OIG community of the reported conclusions/findings and recommendations regarding preparing for and responding to natural disasters.
California Woman Pleads Guilty To Unemployment Benefits Fraud
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Santa Clarita woman pleaded guilty today to her role in a conspiracy to use other peoples’ personal information — without their consent — to unlawfully apply for and obtain over $250,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
Issaquah Man Sentenced for Covid-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
Seattle – A Washington State man was sentenced today to two years in prison for perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 disaster relief
Man Sentenced for Covid-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
A Washington State man was sentenced today to two years in prison for perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 disaster relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in New York Federal Court on Charges Related to Ponzi and COVID-19 Fraud Schemes
Christopher A. Parris, 41, formerly of Rochester, New York, and currently of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud related to a Ponzi scheme, as well as to wire fraud involving the fraudulent sale of purported N95 masks during the pandemic.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Applying for Paycheck Protection Program Loans under False Pretenses
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man who fraudulently applied for Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was sentenced today in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
The U.S. Department of Labor Complied with The Payment Integrity Information Act for FY 2020, but Reported Unemployment Insurance Information Did Not Represent Total Program Year Expenses
DOL's reported Unemployment Insurance improper payment rate of 9.17 percent is compliant with Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, it is not representative of total unemployment expenses for program year 2020. This occurred for the following reasons: (1) DOL excluded CARES Act of 2020 because these unemployment payments were not in existence for more than 12 months, and (2) DOL received direction from Office of Management and Budget to utilize the results from the first three quarters of the program year. This allowed state workforce agencies to suspend work on improper payment sampling...
NIST Was Effective in Implementing the Requirements for Awarding Funds Under the CARES Act
Our objective was to determine whether NIST is complying with the requirements of the CARES Act. Specifically, we determined (1) what steps NIST took to implement and comply with the CARES Act, (2) challenges NIST faced during implementation, and (3) NIST’s status in the processing of applications and awarding funds under the CARES Act. Overall, we found that NIST implemented and followed the requirements of the CARES Act and applicable grant award policies and procedures. In addition, NIST implemented measures to mitigate challenges resulting from an increased workload and a forced transition...
Summary Report Digest: Department of Employment Security
We found that the Department failed to implement general Information Technology controls over the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance System, The Department failed to ensure Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimants met eligibility requirements, The Department did not have sufficient internal control over the determination of accruals for payments related to both the Unemployment Insurance program and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
Single Audit of Federal Financial Assistance Programs For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2020
We have audited, in accordance with the auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business‐type activities, the aggregate discretely presented component units, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the State of Hawaii (the State) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2020, and the related notes to the financial statements, which...
Observations: Fiscal Year 2020 COVID-19 Federal Contracting
The PRAC’s objective was to review pandemic-related federal contracts and identify first-time contractors and contracts awarded without competitive bidding. We found that first-time federal contractors received $4.4 billion worth of pandemic contracts in Fiscal Year 2020 and that $128 million was deobligated from contracts with first-time federal contractors during the same period. Additionally, we identified the four most common flexibilities identified to justify limited competition were urgency, only one source, simplified acquisition procedures, and authorized by statute. Of these, we...
Stoneham Woman Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and Unemployment Fraud Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
BOSTON – A Stoneham woman pleaded guilty today in connection with her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance using stolen identities.
Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud
A Florida man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for fraudulently seeking over $7,263,564 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Texas Man Sentenced for $24 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
A Texas man was sentenced today to more than 11 years in prison for wire-fraud and money-laundering offenses in connection with his fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $24.8 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
Miami Woman Indicted for Wire Fraud and Identity Theft Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
BOSTON – A Miami woman was indicted yesterday in connection with allegedly filing for and obtaining fraudulent pandemic-related loans and using those funds for personal expenses.
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Seizes Two Fraudulent Domains Purportedly Offering Covid-19-Related Funds and Selling Trademarked COVID-19 Vaccine
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized the two domains of usahealthwarehouse.com and walmartpandemicgrant.com. The website domain usahealthwarehouse.com purported to sell and distribute a trademarked Covid-19 vaccine while the walmartpandemicgrant.com domain claimed to be the legitimate website for the Walmart Foundation and offered purported “funds and resources” to those affected by COVID-19. Instead, both domains were allegedly used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites in order to use the information for nefarious purposes...
Local man guilty in $317 million N95 mask scam
A 56-year-old Houston resident has pleaded guilty to a scheme to fraudulently sell 50 million non-existent N95 facemasks to the Australian government