MINNEAPOLIS – In a shocking turn of events, Harold Bennie Kaeding, a 72-year-old man from Eden Prairie, has been arrested and charged with fraudulently applying for over $2.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
According to court documents, Kaeding applied for at least $2,182,625 in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program between April and December 2020. He used the name of close family members to submit the loan applications in the name of four Minnesota entities: Harbor Holdings Corporation; Harbor Corp; AutoPay Inc.; and Voyager Shipping Company. These entities filed no tax returns and did not report the payment of wages to a single employee for calendar years 2019 and 2020.
Kaeding submitted false and fraudulent applications to various lenders that included fabricated supporting records, false statements about the number of employees and the amount of payroll expenses, and false statements about the intended use of the loan proceeds. As a result of his material falsehoods and omissions, Kaeding received approximately $658,490 in fraud proceeds, which he transferred to bank accounts that he controlled and for his personal use, including home mortgage payments and wire transfers to family and friends.
Kaeding then fled to Colombia in an apparent attempt to evade prosecution. However, he was deported from Colombia on November 12, 2021, and ultimately arrested on November 14, 2021, in Miami, Florida.
Harold Bennie Kaeding, 72, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendant Information:
– Defendant Name: Harold Bennie Kaeding
– Exact Criminal Charges: Wire Fraud and Money Laundering
– City and State: Eden Prairie, Minnesota
– Exact Date: Between April and December 2020
– Sentence or Outcome: Currently in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida
– Dollar Amounts: $2,182,625 (total loan amount), $658,490 (fraud proceeds)
Related Federal Cases
- Harold Bennie Kaeding, COVID Relief Program Fraud, MN 2024 · Washington
- Amin Suliaman, COVID-19 Loan Fraud, Colorado 2024 · Washington
- Gary Richard Vibbard, Mail Fraud, Minnesota 2013 · Massachusetts
- More Than 400 Elder Fraud Defendants Charged Nationwide, Minnesota 2023 · New Mexico
- Dianne Josephine Chess, Social Security Fraud, Minnesota 2013 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News