tldrdaily.news logo
Tag

Pandemic Relief Funds

All articles tagged with #pandemic relief funds

legalcrime1 year ago

LGBTQ+ Nonprofit Founder Ruby Corado Arrested for Fraud and Money Laundering

The founder of Casa Ruby, a nonprofit serving homeless LGBTQ youths, has been charged with money laundering and diverting $150,000 of pandemic relief funds to her personal bank accounts. Ruby Corado allegedly fled the United States after financial irregularities at the nonprofit became public and was arrested upon her unexpected return. She faces federal charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, and failure to report foreign bank accounts. Allegations include receiving over $1.3 million from relief programs and diverting funds to bank accounts in El Salvador, while the nonprofit faced financial struggles and legal action.

via The Washington Post|
#casa-ruby#fraud#legalcrime
crime2 years ago

COVID-19 Aid Thieves Splurge on Cars, Private Island, and More

Thousands of thieves have potentially plundered over $280 billion in federal COVID-19 aid, with another $123 billion wasted or misspent, representing close to 10% of the $4.3 trillion disbursed by the U.S. government to mitigate the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. An analysis of pandemic fraud cases reveals thieves and scam artists spending the stolen funds on luxury purchases such as houses, cars, watches, jewelry, strip clubs, gambling, and vacations. The thieves came from various backgrounds and locations, and their crimes were facilitated by the government's goal of quickly distributing cash with minimal hassle. Despite efforts to catch the culprits, the scale and scope of the fraud make it challenging for the federal criminal justice system to fully address the unprecedented volume of pandemic relief fraud cases.

via Honolulu Star-Advertiser|
#covid-19-aid-theft#crime#financial-crimes
crime2 years ago

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 $4.3 trillion disbursed by the U.S. government to mitigate the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. The stolen funds were used to finance luxurious lifestyles, including purchases of houses, luxury watches, diamond jewelry, expensive cars, strip club visits, and vacations. The scale and scope of the fraud are immense, making it challenging for investigators to catch every crook. However, the U.S. Justice Department has created special strike forces to hunt down COVID-19 aid thieves and recover stolen funds.

via NBC News|
#covid-19-fraud#crime#federal-prison
crime2 years ago

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.

via ABC News|
#covid-19-fraud#crime#fraudsters
education2 years ago

2022-2023 School Accountability Grades Released by MDE and Arkansas, Mississippi Coast High Schools Excel

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has released the school and district accountability grades for the 2022-23 school year, showing improvement over the previous year. Approximately 87% of schools and 91% of districts earned a grade of C or higher, compared to 81% of schools and 87% of districts in the previous year. The grades are based on student proficiency and growth rates, science proficiency, English learner progress, performance on assessments, participation in advanced coursework, and graduation rates. The state and school districts have invested federal pandemic-relief funds in programs and services to overcome disruptions caused by the pandemic and accelerate student learning.

via The Mississippi Department of Education|
#district-accountability#education#mississippi-department-of-education
crime2 years ago

DOJ cracks down on COVID fraud, charges hundreds in nationwide enforcement action

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged 371 individuals and launched two new COVID-19 fraud strike forces, as part of efforts to combat the alleged theft of over $800 million in coronavirus aid. Out of the defendants, 119 have pleaded guilty or been convicted, with over $57 million in court-ordered restitution imposed. Additionally, more than $231.4 million has been forfeited. The DOJ has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds and charged over 3,000 defendants. Two new strike forces have been launched in Colorado and New Jersey, adding to the existing three in California, Florida, and Maryland.

via The Hill|
#charges#covid-19-fraud#crime
government2 years ago

Lack of Transparency: Local Governments Spending Pandemic Relief Funds with Minimal Accountability

Nearly one in four cities and counties in the United States have reported no expenditures from the pandemic relief funds they received, according to an analysis of data released by the U.S. Treasury Department. Critics argue that the publicly available data is misleading and fails to account for preliminary planning and differing interpretations of reporting requirements. Federal officials estimate that governments have spending commitments for over 80% of the funds, but Republicans and fiscal conservatives question the necessity of the spending. Some governments categorized their entire federal allotment as "revenue replacement," allowing them to report it as one project without providing specific details. There are no immediate penalties for incorrect or non-reporting, but calls for accountability and transparency persist.

via Yahoo News|
#accountability#government#local-governments