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.
