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Defendant Pleads Guilty to $660,000 COVID-Relief Scam
BOSTON — In a shocking turn of events, former North Shore resident Dana L. McIntyre, 59, of Grafton, Vermont, and previously of Beverly and Essex, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to charges of COVID-relief fraud. McIntyre’s scheme involved filing fraudulent applications for over $660,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds and using those funds for personal expenses, including the purchase of an alpaca farm in Vermont.
According to court documents, McIntyre, the former owner of Rasta Pasta Pizzeria in Beverly, used the names of his adult children to submit two fraudulent applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for fictitious businesses. Beginning in April 2020, McIntyre submitted an application and weekly certifications in order to receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, falsely claiming that he was not working or receiving income as a result of the pandemic.
In April 2020, McIntyre submitted a fraudulent application for a PPP loan of over $660,000 through an SBA-approved lender. In the application, McIntyre inflated information about the pizzeria’s employees and payroll expenses and falsified an official tax form in an effort to qualify the business for a larger loan amount. After receiving a PPP loan of over $660,000, McIntyre sold the pizzeria and used nearly all the funds to purchase and improve an alpaca farm in Vermont and on other personal expenses, including two vehicles and air time for his crypto-currency themed radio show.
McIntyre pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering, each carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2023. McIntyre was arrested and charged by criminal complaint and later indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2021.
The charges against McIntyre were announced by United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office.
McIntyre’s scheme was uncovered as part of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General in May 2021 to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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