Seventeen employees working for the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Fort Lauderdale faced allegations in individual instances of manipulating documents to receive funds from two relief programs.
Seventeen deputies from a South Florida sheriff’s office have been accused of defrauding federal loan programs of nearly half a million dollars, which were meant to assist struggling businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, according to authorities.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office employees face separate wire fraud charges related to their collection of funds from the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, as announced by Markenzy Lapointe, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, during a news conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday.
Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward County stated that the deputies facing charges come from various areas within his agency. Eight of them, including a sergeant, work in the law enforcement department, while nine, including a sergeant, are assigned to the detention department.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, aimed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of struggling Americans. It included the allocation of substantial funds in the form of forgivable loans to help small businesses retain their employees and cover various expenses.
The sheriff’s office employees collectively received $495,171 from these programs, which they used for their personal enrichment, as revealed by Mr. Lapointe’s office.
Mr. Lapointe emphasized during the news conference that these funds were not intended for the purchase of consumer goods, vehicles, homes, clothing, jewelry, or cosmetic surgery.
The accused deputies have been suspended but have not been asked to resign. Sheriff Tony explained that the department must adhere to administrative procedures and respect the rights of its employees.
However, he raised the question, “How can we have anyone out here wearing a badge that is stealing from the American people?”
Matt Cowart, the president of the union representing Broward sheriff’s deputies, acknowledged the ongoing investigation involving multiple employees. He emphasized that all employees and citizens are entitled to due process through the court system.
The Florida Bulldog, an online nonprofit news outlet, was the first to report the federal investigation into loan fraud among Broward sheriff’s deputies.
The investigation was initiated in November 2021 when the Broward Sheriff’s Office of Inspector General began examining which of the department’s 5,500 employees had obtained Paycheck Protection Program funds. Loan fraud had become an emerging trend within public service agencies, according to Sheriff Tony.
The department’s public corruption unit received a tip from a Broward Sheriff’s Office employee, indicating potential fraud committed by several employees. The case was then handed over to the U.S. attorney’s office, the Federal Reserve Board’s Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
You Are Also See This Contant : – Israel Embassy Employee Attacked in China Amid Heightened Tensions: Hamas Conflict Escalates
Wire fraud convictions can carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as stated by the U.S. attorney’s office. One of the deputies was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The South Florida U.S. attorney’s office has been actively investigating cases of pandemic relief fraud related to the loan program, which was designed to support small businesses. It has unfortunately become an attractive target for individuals seeking to profit from fraud.
Numerous others have been arrested and charged with misusing pandemic relief funds, including a Miami man who used the funds to purchase a Lamborghini, jewelry, and clothing, and a political consultant and daughter of a former South Florida mayor who received a 20-month federal prison sentence for making false statements on a Covid loan application to obtain $300,000.
Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news insights!” Click here!