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Charles Brothers Charged with $2.5M COVID-19 Relief Funds Theft, Florida 2022
Two brothers from Florida, Carl Charles, 43, of Miramar, and his brother, Patrick Charles, 41, of Lake Worth, have been charged with stealing millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.
According to court documents, from March 2020 through December 2021, the duo, along with their accomplices, submitted applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for nearly $5 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program funds. However, they made false statements regarding the businesses’ revenues, creation dates, and number of employees.
As a result of the false and fraudulent applications, the SBA disbursed over $2.5 million in loan proceeds and advances to the defendants and others.
CARL CHARLES is charged with four counts of wire fraud and PATRICK CHARLES is charged with three counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The FBI, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG) are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Samad Pardesi of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider are prosecuting the case.
The COVID-19 pandemic relief funds were meant to support small businesses and individuals affected by the pandemic. Instead, the Charles brothers allegedly exploited the system to line their own pockets with millions of dollars.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline or submitting a complaint form on the NCDF website.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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