Boston Hustler Davis Nabbed for $50K COVID Scam

BOSTON – Antawn Davis, 39, of Boston, isn’t using pandemic relief to keep a business afloat. He’s using it to fuel a lavish lifestyle, and now he’s facing the music. Davis pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and making false statements in connection with a brazen scheme to siphon nearly $50,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The feds say Davis, already entangled in a wider investigation of the Heath Street Gang, submitted bogus applications in April and May of 2021. These weren’t honest mistakes; the applications were riddled with lies about his business’s income and how the loan money would be used. He even backed it all up with fabricated tax records, attempting to pull the wool over the eyes of federal investigators.

It worked, briefly. Davis walked away with approximately $49,999 in PPP funds. But instead of payroll or legitimate business expenses, the money vanished into a black hole of personal indulgence. Sources say Davis blew the cash on casino trips and high-end shopping sprees at Saks Fifth Avenue – a clear indication this wasn’t about saving a struggling enterprise.

Davis was initially charged and arrested in February 2024, alongside over 40 other alleged Heath Street Gang members and associates, who are facing charges ranging from racketeering and drug trafficking to firearms offenses. This latest guilty plea adds another layer to the sprawling case, showcasing the gang’s willingness to exploit a national crisis for personal gain.

The U.S. District Court, presided over by Judge Julia E. Kobick, has scheduled sentencing for September 16, 2024. Davis is looking at a potential sentence of up to 20 years behind bars for the wire fraud charge, plus up to five years for making false statements. He also faces hefty fines – up to $250,000 for the wire fraud or $10,000 for the false statements, or twice the amount he illegally obtained.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, and federal investigators from the Department of Labor and IRS Criminal Investigations all contributed to this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun are leading the prosecution as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud is urged to contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. Remember, the charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and Davis, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.