Casey David Crowther, Making False Statement, Florida 2024

Fort Myers, FL - A Fort Myers business owner has been arrested and charged with making false statements to a lending institution in a case of COVID-19 relief fraud.

Casey David Crowther, 35, was taken into custody on charges of making a false statement to a lending institution, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.

The arrest comes after an investigation by the United States Secret Service revealed that Crowther had sought and received over $2 million in a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan through an application to an insured financial institution on behalf of his company, Target Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc.

Crowther allegedly submitted a loan application that included false and misleading statements concerning what the PPP funds would be used for, specifically that the PPP funds would only be used for business-related purposes, to retain workers, and maintain payroll or make mortgage payments, lease payments, and utilities payments.

However, within days of receiving the PPP funds, Crowther used a portion of the funds to purchase a 2020 40-foot catamaran boat for approximately $689,417, which he registered in his name.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and Crowther is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/fort-myers-business-owner-arrested-and-charged-covid-relief-fraud