FLORIDA NEWS
FLORIDA – A Florida man and his brother have been sentenced for a $1.6 million COVID-19 fraud scheme.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the two men were sentenced for their participation in a COVID-19 fraud scheme that involved fraudulent applications for $1.6 million in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Dumarsais Blaise Jr., 45, of Stonecrest, Georgia, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. His brother, Alexander Blaise, 41, of Plantation, Florida, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
According to court documents, Dumarsais Blaise and Alexander Blaise worked together to submit fraudulent PPP applications. Dumarsais Blaise used his expertise as a tax preparer to create fake tax documents submitted in support of fraudulent applications.
The conspiracy involved fabricating information about three purported companies, two of which did not exist, the DOJ said. For the third company, the brothers falsely inflated the number of employees and payroll costs, claiming the company employed 41 people when in fact, it employed only one person.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Atlanta Region, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffery Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG and FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Trial attorney Edward Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiran Bhat for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.