Nationwide COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Yields Justice Department Results
The Justice Department has announced the results of a nationwide enforcement action against COVID-19 fraud, revealing 718 enforcement actions, including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants, for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud. The department has seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes. Two additional COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces have been launched in Colorado and New Jersey. The cases involve various types of fraud, including pandemic unemployment insurance benefit fraud and fraud against relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program.