⏱ 2 min read
Tony Sterlin Cantave, a 46-year-old Cheshire man, has been sentenced for defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic relief program in June 2020. Cantave applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) funding through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), submitting false statements about his business, Arbitrage 1 Media, and his child support obligations. He received $96,200 in relief funds, which he used for personal expenses, including paying off an automobile loan.
Cantave’s scheme was uncovered, and he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction on June 24, 2025. U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden sentenced Cantave to three months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Cantave was also ordered to pay $109,605.21 in restitution.
This is not Cantave’s first brush with the law. He has two prior federal convictions, including an 18-month prison sentence for a firearm offense in 1999 and a 13-month prison sentence for another offense in 2015. Cantave is currently released on bond and is required to report to prison on July 15.
The sentence serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit pandemic relief programs for personal gain. The FBI and other agencies are actively investigating and prosecuting COVID-19 relief fraud cases, and those found guilty can face significant prison time and fines.
Related Federal Cases
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- Ian Parker Bick, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, Connecticut 2015 · Rhode Island
- Thomas Recck, Wire Fraud, Connecticut 2015 · Pennsylvania
- Alexander Bergen, Interstate Transportation of Money Obtained by Fraud, Connecticut 2016 · New York
- Deirdre M. Daly, Election Fraud, Connecticut 2016 · Georgia
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Connecticut
- Location: CT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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