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A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Ryan Dales, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, with wire fraud, relating to the submission of fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The complaint was filed January 13, 2023, and unsealed today...

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 Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

HOUSTON – A 30-year-old Orlando, Florida, man has admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the United States of COVID related disaster loan proceeds

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Don V. Cisternino (47, Chuluota) to eight years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal monetary transaction. The court also ordered Cisternino to forfeit a total of $1,071,923.98 seized from five different bank accounts, which are funds traceable to proceeds of the offense. In addition, the court entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $7.21 million, which represents the total proceeds obtained by Cisternino from the wire fraud scheme. The court also ordered Cisternino...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An East Providence man who submitted eight fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $375,000 in COVID-19 relief business loans guaranteed by the federal Small Business Administration has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Four California agricultural companies and their owner have agreed to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) by knowingly submitting false information in support of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. Mendota Land Co., Sweetwood Farm Co. LLC, Sweetwood Farm Inc., Seasholtz Co. LLC, and their owner John Seasholtz (collectively, “Seasholtz”) are alleged to have improperly inflated the employee headcount on the companies’ PPP loan applications by impermissibly including non...

A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Tomeka Glenn, age 46, and Kevin Davis, age 42, both of Windsor Mill, Maryland, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, relating to the submission of fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications and their receipt of over $300,000 in fraudulently obtained funds. The complaint was filed December 16, 2022, and unsealed today upon the arrests of the defendants.