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Table of Contents

Ulster County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud

A 48-year-old man from Ulster County, New York, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, netting $4.9 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Jean R. Lavanture, also known as JR or Rudy Lavanture, admitted to fraudulently obtaining the funds through Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs).

Lavanture, a citizen of Haiti, conspired with Sean M. Andre, a 31-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, to submit fraudulent loan applications in the names of four companies controlled by Lavanture. The applications grossly misrepresented the companies’ employees and payroll, and included false corporate tax documents created by Andre as part of the scheme. Lavanture admitted that none of his companies actually had a payroll or employees.

Lavanture also admitted to fraudulently obtaining $561,200 in EIDLs from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In total, Lavanture and his co-conspirators obtained $4,870,781 in COVID-19 relief funds.

Lavanture agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $4,870,781, and to forfeit proceeds of the fraud, including a motel property in Rockaway Beach, Missouri; $476,253.25 in U.S. currency; a 2007 Bentley Continental; a 2013 BMW X5; and the balances of 19 bank accounts at a total of 9 banks.

Lavanture faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud conspiracy, and up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, when he is sentenced on January 6, 2022 by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation, and the SBA Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Solomon.

Two other individuals, Sean M. Andre and Jamur Pharmes, have also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud as part of the same scheme. Andre’s sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2022, while Pharmes is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2021.