A $1.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud conspiracy scheme has landed two Houston area siblings in hot water, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jonathan Flores, 31, of Willis, and his sister Bianca April Flores, 29, of Houston, are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan at 2 p.m. on an unspecified date.
The six-count indictment, returned on November 29, alleges both committed one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, the siblings conspired to submit nine false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications, falsifying the number of employees and the average monthly payroll expenses of the applicant businesses.
The charges state that Jonathan and Bianca Flores fraudulently obtained approximately $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
If convicted, each faces up to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while wire fraud carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related Federal Cases
- Jason Jarin, Medicaid Fraud and Illicit Transition Procedures, Texas 2023 · Oklahoma
- Shannon Tecoko Mays, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Texas, 2012 · Oklahoma
- Nicole Pennington, COVID Loan Scam, KY, 2023 · Texas
- Christopher Ferguson, Securities Fraud, New York 2020 · Texas
- James Pavlounis, Social Security Administration Fraud and Tax Evasion, California 2023 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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