Tag: COVID-19 Relief Fraud
Elaine Escoe, COVID-19 Relief Fraud, Florida 2025
⏱ 2 min read Elaine Escoe, 41, is accused of masterminding a massive $32 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme in South Florida. The alleged scam involved conspiring to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and other crimes to steal federal funds meant for struggling businesses during the pandemic. Escoe was charged by indictment in 2025, but…
Tony Sterlin Cantave, Pandemic Relief Program Fraud, Connecticut 2020
⏱ 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…
James Robert Smith, COVID Relief Fraud, Louisiana 2020
⏱ 2 min read A slick New Orleans businessman swindled the government out of $712,212 in COVID-19 relief funds, claiming his struggling bed and breakfast had raked in over $425,000 in 2019. Arthur Allen, 53, pleaded guilty to providing a false statement to a federal agency on April 22, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jay…
Francesco Distefano, Wire Fraud, Illinois 2020
⏱ 2 min read Francesco Distefano, a 29-year-old suburban Chicago man, orchestrated a massive Covid-19 relief fraud scheme in 2020 and 2021, swindling the federal government out of more than $3.3 million in small business loans and grants. Distefano, along with co-defendant Sargis Urumieh, submitted false applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury…
Ashley Nicole Cross, Medicaid Fraud, South Carolina 2021
Learn about the indictment of a Charlotte behavioral health services provider for Medicaid fraud and COVID-19 relief fraud. Find out the charges, allegations, and potential penalties. Discover the details of the healthcare fraud and COVID-19 fraud schemes.
Kelli Prather, Bank Fraud, Ohio 2023
Jury convicts Cincinnati woman of crimes related to COVID-19 relief fraud. Learn about the case, charges, evidence, and potential sentences in this informative post.
Jaquari Davonte Woodward, Wire Fraud, Nevada 2021
Discover how a North Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty to COVID-19 relief fraud, obtaining over $1.1 million in fraudulent loans. Learn about the scheme, the penalties, and the importance of combating fraud in relief programs.
