The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it has charged two more individuals for defrauding the U.S. government coronavirus bailout program: a Texas engineer and a star from the reality television show 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta'.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday said it has charged two more individuals for defrauding the U.S. government coronavirus bailout program: a Texas engineer and a star from the reality television show “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta”.
The small-business loan program, known as the Paycheck Protection Program, is part of an unprecedented $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic package meant to reimburse businesses and households for lost income due to shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. The U.S. filed its first criminal charges for defrauding the bailout program last week.
“The defendant allegedly stole money meant to assist hard-hit employees and businesses during these difficult times, and instead greedily used the money to bankroll his lavish purchases of jewelry and other personal items,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement.
Prosecutors have also charged Shashank Rai, a Texas engineer, for allegedly seeking about $13 million in PPP funds from two separate banks by claiming to have 250 employees, when he had none, according to a separate statement from the DOJ.In March, Attorney General William Barr ordered all U.S. Attorney offices to prioritize investigations into coronavirus scams, such as the peddling of fake cures, investment schemes and Medicare fraud.
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