Malak Faltawws, COVID-19 Relief Fraud, New Jersey 2025

Bergen County Man Admits to Committing Over $600,000 COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

NEWARK, N.J. – Malak Faltawws, aka ‘Mark Andrews,’ 47, of Rutherford, New Jersey, plead guilty to two-counts of an Indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Faltawws fraudulently obtained approximately $617,991 of COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL and PPP programs, by submitting false and fraudulent applications, inflating his businesses’ revenue, payroll expenses, and number of employees.

After receiving the fraudulent funds, he diverted the proceeds for his personal gain.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greater.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2025.

Faltawws, 47, of Rutherford, New Jersey, is charged with:

Wire Fraud (2 counts) - Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison; Maximum fine: $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greater.

Money Laundering (2 counts) - Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison; Maximum fine: $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan and investigators of the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission under the direction of Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/bergen-county-man-admits-committing-over-600000-covid-19-fraud-scheme