Alvin Lavon Rex, COVID-19 Related Mail Fraud, Iowa 2020

A 61-year-old Schaller man has been charged with mail fraud, allegedly using COVID-19 relief funds for personal gain.

Alvin Lavon Rex, 61, allegedly received approximately $19,000 in deposits in his account at a bank in Storm Lake, Iowa, in May 2020. The funds were part of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Benefits (FPUC) provided by the CARES Act.

The complaint alleges that Rex made a series of cash withdrawals from his account and mailed the cash to at least one other person in Maryland.

The CARES Act, signed into law by the President on March 27, 2020, provided emergency assistance to individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the complaint, Rex received unemployment funds in the names of other individuals in Massachusetts and Arizona, which included additional $600 per week claimed under Section 2104 of the CARES Act.

If convicted, Rex faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Rex appeared today in federal court in Sioux City and was released on bond pending further proceedings.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The prosecution is an example of the government's strong commitment to combating fraud and criminal activity related to COVID-19.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/schaller-man-charged-covid-19-related-mail-fraud