Curtis A. Alleyne, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, Wisconsin 2024

A Wisconsin man was sentenced to prison for his role in a COVID-19 pandemic relief program scam. Curtis A. Alleyne, 40, of Almond, Wisconsin, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering associated with the COVID-19 pandemic relief program.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, Alleyne pleaded guilty to the charges on May 9, 2024. He was subsequently sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley on August 23, 2024.

The investigation revealed that Alleyne submitted a false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on April 15, 2020. He claimed his business, Curtis A. Alleyne, Inc., earned over $500,000 in gross revenue and attached forged tax documents to support his application. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) confirmed that the tax documents were never filed.

The SBA approved Alleyne’s EIDL application and deposited $149,900 into his bank account. Investigators found that Alleyne spent the funds on a Cadillac CT6 and other personal expenses not authorized by the SBA.

U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea stated that the sentence sends a message of general deterrence to potential white-collar criminals. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce – Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma.

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, established to promote transparency and coordinate oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response, supported the investigation. The PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence applied advanced analytic and forensic technologies to help identify and pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.

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