MIAMI — In a stunning case of financial misconduct during the COVID-19 pandemic, 31-year-old Daniela Rendon was today arraigned in federal court on charges of fraudulently obtaining $381,000 in relief funds meant for small businesses. The Miami woman is accused of misusing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Relief Program monies to fund a lavish lifestyle.
The charges against Rendon include seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison. The defendant is alleged to have falsified financial documents and payroll records to secure the fraudulent funds, which were then used for a range of indulgences including renting a luxury apartment on Biscayne Bay, purchasing a Bentley Bentayga, and paying for cosmetic procedures.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, announced the charges alongside acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn is handling the prosecution.
“An indictment is a mere allegation,” Lapointe emphasized. “Rendon will be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The Department of Justice has been actively combating pandemic-related fraud, establishing the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to enhance efforts against such criminal activities. The Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office was chosen to lead one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams in September 2022.
Community members are encouraged to report any allegations of fraud related to the pandemic by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filling out a web complaint form available at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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