Profiles · Fraud defendants
- Type
- Person
- Role
- Defendant
- Updated
The profile
One of seven Las Vegas men indicted separately in June 2026 over PPP and EIDL loans that, by prosecutors' count, total $205,639 across all seven; he is charged with one count of wire fraud.
Identity and role
Elias Santino Acereto, whom prosecutors list as a Las Vegas resident, was indicted under seal in United States v. Acereto, No. 2:26-cr-00109 (D. Nev.), and arrested on June 11, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. His was one of seven separate indictments announced the next day by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada; the others charged Sheyland Juakeen Barnett, James Sean Freeman II, Yves Garry Harrison-Pierre, Tyrone Tatrice Johnson, Marcus Dushun McMillian-Bonner and Nathan Jeffry Scott.
The scheme and pandemic-relief role
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, each of the seven men gave false information and fake documents when applying for PPP and/or EIDL loans and fraudulently obtained the funds to enrich themselves. The office put the total for all seven at $205,639, an average of about $29,400 a defendant; the release does not give each man's amount, and we do not have a copy of his indictment. He is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison per count. The charges are allegations; the case is pending.
Legal status / controversies
- Charged: indictment filed under seal (sealing order June 10, 2026); one count of wire fraud.
- Arrested: June 11, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Status: He was arraigned in Las Vegas on June 29, 2026, and the court appointed counsel under the Criminal Justice Act. On July 13, 2026 the parties stipulated to continue the trial date, and the court entered an ends-of-justice order.
Where they are now (2025–2026)
The case was pending with no plea or trial on the public docket as of September 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney's Office, D. Nev., "Coordinated Law Enforcement Actions Results in Arrests of Seven Men in Connection with Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loan Applications" (June 12, 2026) — original: Coordinated Law Enforcement Actions Results in Arrests of Seven Men in Connection with Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loan Applications (original: justice.gov)
- Docket, United States v. Elias Santino Acereto, No. 2:26-cr-00109 (D. Nev.) — original: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73546979/united-states-v-elias-santino-acereto/