⏱ 2 min read
Justin Heimbach, a 34-year-old construction company owner from Bath, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 76 months in prison for running a scheme to defraud the federal government and multiple local car dealerships. Heimbach, who operated TeamKJ Construction, filed fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applications in the names of individuals supposedly no longer employed by his company due to COVID-19. In reality, the applications contained false statements about job loss and pandemic-related circumstances.
In addition to the PUA scheme, Heimbach defrauded Lehigh Valley car dealerships by purchasing vehicles in the names of other construction companies associated with him and writing checks with insufficient funds to cover the transactions. The investigation, which was jointly conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the FBI’s Allentown Resident Agency, uncovered the scope of Heimbach’s fraudulent activities.
Heimbach pleaded guilty to six counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud in February. On top of his 76-month prison sentence, he has been ordered to pay $598,257 in restitution. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris and was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Younge.
The sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of exploiting government programs and engaging in fraudulent activities, especially during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Justice and other agencies continue to investigate and prosecute such cases to protect the integrity of government programs and the public’s trust.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Pennsylvania
- Location: PA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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