Chad Wade, Wire Fraud, Florida 2023

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Chad Wade, a man who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud, for acts of COVID-related fraud, was recently sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the United States Small Business Administration in the amount of about $1.58 million, and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000.00.

In FY 2024, the Northern District of Florida collected the full amount of the restitution. In addition to the criminal judgment, the Northern District of Florida obtained a civil judgment under the False Claims Act for over $4 million, of which over $2.2 million has been collected. The total amount collected from Wade is over $3.8 million.

Wade pleaded guilty in November, 2023, to wire fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud, for acts of COVID-related fraud. He was sentenced in the same year.

The Northern District of Florida collected $10,739,347.57 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $6,129,268.26 was collected in criminal actions and $4,610,079.31 was collected in civil actions.

“Our office’s civil and criminal divisions, in coordination with our federal, state, and local law partners, have continued to work tirelessly to collect funds owed the America people in both criminal and civil matters,” said Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.

The Northern District of Florida, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $10,417,393 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/us-attorneys-office-collects-1073934757-civil-and-criminal-actions-fiscal-year-2024