Wheeling Grifter Scoops $300K in COVID Funds

⏱ 2 min read

Bradley Temple, 48, a former Wheeling, West Virginia business owner now living in Delray Beach, Florida, just confessed to ripping off nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief money. The scheme unfolded sometime during the pandemic, as businesses were desperately seeking aid, and Temple allegedly helped himself to funds he wasn’t entitled to. He pled guilty to unlawful money transactions in the Southern District of Alabama.

Federal prosecutors say Temple illegally pocketed the cash, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama isn’t ruling out a larger conspiracy. This isn’t just about one man’s greed; it’s about stealing from a system designed to keep local businesses afloat when they were facing extinction.

The details are still murky, but the feds are digging deeper to see if Temple was working with others. The Southern District of Alabama is actively investigating, looking for any connections to additional fraudulent activity. The US Attorney Matthew L. Harvey’s office is handling the case.

Temple’s guilty plea is the latest in a string of COVID relief scams plaguing the country. While the exact sentencing details haven’t been released, this case is a clear message: exploiting a national crisis for personal gain won’t pay. The question remains: will Temple face the maximum penalty, and will the investigation uncover the full scope of his operation?