WV Trucker Fleeced COVID Funds

⏱ 2 min read

Bradley Temple, 48, a former Wheeling, West Virginia trucking boss now living in Florida, just confessed to ripping off $277,456 in COVID-19 relief cash. Temple, who ran Righteous Brother’s Trucking, lied on applications for both Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. The scheme unfolded during 2020-2021, a time when legitimate businesses were fighting for survival.

Instead of keeping his company afloat, Temple treated the pandemic aid like a personal ATM. A hefty $40,000 chunk went straight towards a down payment on a new ride – details on the vehicle are scarce, but the intent was crystal clear. The feds say he used the rest for other personal expenses, leaving struggling, honest businesses to twist in the wind.

Temple pled guilty to unlawful money transactions. He’s looking at a maximum of ten years in federal prison, plus he’ll be forced to pay back every stolen penny. Sentencing will fall to a federal judge, but it’s a safe bet Temple’s days of easy money are over.

The bust wasn’t a solo act. IRS Criminal Investigations, shockingly enough, NASA’s Office of Inspector General, and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee’s Fraud Task Force teamed up to unravel the scam. Seems even space agency watchdogs are chasing COVID crooks.