COVID-19 Fraudster Buys Private Island with Stolen Relief Aid

Patrick Parker Walsh, a Florida businessman, has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for stealing nearly $8 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds, which he used to purchase a private island in Florida. Walsh is one of thousands of thieves who potentially plundered over $280 billion in federal COVID-19 aid, representing close to 10% of the total disbursed by the U.S. government. The stolen funds were used to finance lavish lifestyles, including luxury watches, expensive cars, strip club visits, and vacations. Nearly 3,200 defendants have been charged with COVID-19 relief fraud, and about $1.4 billion in stolen aid has been seized.