In a brazen scheme to line his pockets, a high-ranking Miami-Dade County employee has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) of a $160,000 COVID-19 relief loan.
Willie Curry, a 58-year-old Network Manager with Miami-Dade County, submitted a fake application to the SBA in June 2020, claiming his company, ‘Will Curry Computers,’ had $755,416 in revenue and 10 employees. In reality, Curry’s company was a mere shell, with minimal revenue and no employees.
The SBA, unaware of the deception, disbursed a $10,000 advance and a $150,000 loan to Curry’s listed financial institution. However, the institution returned the funds to the SBA, and Curry’s subsequent attempts to redirect the money to another account were unsuccessful.
Curry’s scheme was uncovered by law enforcement, and he faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison at his sentencing hearing on November 17, 2021.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Professional Compliance Bureau, the SBA’s Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.
The COVID-19 relief loans were designed to provide emergency financial assistance to businesses affected by the pandemic. The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, authorized the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses.
The Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. This task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute those responsible for such crimes.
Curry’s guilty plea serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and the consequences of defrauding government programs designed to support those in need.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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