Conservative News Daily

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.”

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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