DOJ charges thousands in COVID relief fraud.
DOJ Charges Over 3,000 Individuals with Fraud and Recovers $1.4 Billion in COVID-19 Relief Funds
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made significant strides in combating COVID-19 relief fund fraud, according to a recent press release. To date, the DOJ has charged over 3,000 individuals with fraud and successfully recovered nearly $1.4 billion in stolen funds.
In a three-month sweep that concluded in July, the DOJ brought criminal charges against 371 defendants, with 119 of them either pleading guilty or receiving convictions, as stated in the press release. Notably, 63 of the defendants had alleged connections to violent crimes, including gang members who had received relief funds as payment for hired murders.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the DOJ’s commitment to pursuing those who stole pandemic relief funds, stating, “This latest action, involving over 300 defendants and over $830 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud, should send a clear message: the COVID-19 public health emergency may have ended, but the Justice Department’s work is far from over.”
Justice Department Announces Results of Nationwide COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Action
Department Also Announces the Launch of Two New COVID-19 Fraud Strike Forceshttps://t.co/efznzTak8I
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) August 23, 2023
One notable arrest was that of Leon Haynes, a New Jersey tax preparer who allegedly fraudulently claimed 4 million in COVID-19 tax credits. Haynes also filed over 1,000 fraudulent tax forms for businesses he and others owned, misleading clients by claiming it was “free money” from the government, as reported by The New York Times.
In addition, four individuals were charged with using international pandemic relief for fraud and money laundering in Nigeria, according to CNBC.
The scale of the fraud is staggering, with potentially more than $200 billion, or 17 percent, of the pandemic loans given by agencies falling into the hands of “fraudulent actors,” as reported by The New York Times.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco affirmed the DOJ’s determination to pursue fraudsters and recover taxpayer funds, stating, “We will not rest until justice is served.”
Since May 2021, the DOJ has been working diligently to recover funds after the creation of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. At least 21 agencies have joined forces to regain the lost funding.
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The post Thousands of Defendants Charged in COVID Relief Fraud by DOJ appeared first on The Western Journal.
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