Cedar Rapids Fraudster Sentenced to Over Seven Years for COVID-19 Relief Scam and Gun Possession

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — Dannish Dontreal Robertson, a 22-year-old from Cedar Rapids, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme and for illegal gun possession.

Robertson, who pleaded guilty on May 21, 2021, to wire fraud and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, was handed down the sentence by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams on November 29, 2021. He will serve 87 months in prison.

According to court documents, Robertson submitted fraudulent applications for small business loans intended to help businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme netted him over $30,000, which he used to fund his lifestyle and distribute to others involved in the scheme. Robertson’s criminal history includes being a convicted felon and an unlawful drug user.

Between 2018 and 2020, Robertson possessed five firearms, including one incident where he fled from a police officer with a gun. The loaded firearm was discarded behind a house and later recovered by residents who reported it to the police.

In addition to his prison sentence, Robertson must pay $20,607 in restitution to a Small Business Administration lending institution and $10,000 to the Small Business Administration. He will also serve a five-year term of supervised release following his prison term.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, which aims to reduce violent crime by focusing enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partnering with local programs for long-term reductions in crime. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the FBI, the SBA-Office of Inspector General, and the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.

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