South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office to Lead COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Team Against Pandemic Relief Fraud
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, dated September 15, 2022, announcing that the office was selected to head one of three COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams nationally. The release states that the district recently charged 23 COVID-19 relief fraud cases with scheme amounts totaling over $150 million, has charged over 80 cases since the CARES Act was passed, and has seized over $23.5 million in stolen relief funds. Among recent prosecutions, it describes a criminal complaint charging Daniel Hernandez, a Market Manager for a national bank, with orchestrating a $30 million relief fraud scheme through over 90 fraudulent PPP loan applications. It also describes charges against Herbert Emile in a $100 million scheme and indictments of several South Florida residents over PPP and EIDL loans.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office to Lead COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Team Against Pandemic Relief Fraud.”
Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2022-09-19-south-florida-u-s-attorney-s-office-to-lead-covid-19-fraud-3d93cc7f59/
, SHA-256 95785addcf54d60a74e9ea62b8d390aae5910da20a39bbb7652f4afc9997853e.Full text
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, September 15, 2022
South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office to Lead COVID-19 Fraud
Strike Force Team Against Pandemic Relief Fraud
More Than 20 Cases Recently Charged
MIAMI – Recognized as a leader in pandemic relief fraud prosecutions, the Southern District of
Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office has been selected to head one of three COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force
Teams nationally. In recent weeks alone, the district has charged 23 COVID-19 relief fraud cases, with
scheme amounts totaling over $150 million.
The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance the department’s existing efforts to
combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud.
“Over the years, the South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners have
developed robust domestic and international anti-fraud and money laundering practices,” said Juan
Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Our experience with these data-
driven financial prosecutions allowed us to launch an early and aggressive attack on COVID-19 relief
fraud by holding accountable those who tried to capitalize on an unprecedented crisis. We are proud
to have been selected to lead one of three COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams and look forward to
continuing to advance this important Department of Justice effort.”
In total, the South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged over 80 cases since the CARES Act was
passed. It has seized over $23.5 million in stolen relief funds. The Strike Force Team will build on
this momentum.
“These Strike Force Teams will build on the Department’s historic enforcement efforts to deter, detect,
and disrupt pandemic fraud wherever it occurs,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Since the
start of this pandemic, the Justice Department has seized over $1.2 billion in relief funds that criminals
were attempting to steal and charged over 1,500 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the
country, but our work is far from over. The Department will continue to work relentlessly to combat
pandemic fraud and hold accountable those who perpetrate it.”
Anticipating the need to protect the integrity of these taxpayer funds and to otherwise protect South
Floridians from financial fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern District of Florida
established multiple efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute such fraud. This multifaceted
approach has proven invaluable in going after those who have cheated the system.
“The Strike Force Teams are the latest example of the Justice Department’s commitment to fight
pandemic fraud,” said Associate Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers, who serves as the
department’s director for COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement. “The work being done by our prosecutors,
trial attorneys, agents and partners on our COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force has been
extraordinary. We’re going a step further with the announcement of strike force teams to support,
enhance, and continue the great work being done across the department.”
“Our investigations of schemes to defraud federal pandemic relief programs have continued and will
continue even as the pandemic itself evolves,” said Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of
Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles. “The cases described in this announcement
reflect collaboration with our law enforcement partners and specific progress made in the fight to
identify, investigate, and prosecute financial crime affecting FDIC-insured institutions.”
The Southern District of Florida’s Strike Force Team will be comprised of dedicated prosecutors,
working together with agents from Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Small Business
Administration Office of Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, FBI, U.S. Secret
Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, U.S.
Postal Inspection Service, Federal Reserve System Office of Inspector General, Treasury Inspector
General for Tax Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The Pandemic Response
Accountability Committee and Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery will assist the Strike
Force.
“OIG stands firm in the fight to hold persons that commit fraud responsible in collaboration with our
law enforcement partners,” said SBA OIG’s Inspector General Hannibal M. Ware. “OIG remains
committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs every day. I want to
thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of
justice.”
A group effort is needed to address this problem and that is exactly what these agencies and
departments have committed to doing.
“This announcement is the culmination of hard work by numerous agencies,” said Wayne Rosen,
Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Miami Regional Office, Office of Inspector General for the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. “It sends
a clear message that federal law enforcement is watching and will relentlessly pursue fraudsters and
bring them to justice. We are proud to work with our law enforcement partners in this endeavor.”
Although these COVID-19 loan programs have ended, guilty parties should not get a false sense of
security. Their capture certainly remains a priority.
“The CARES Act provided vital funds to thousands of small businesses impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic economic downturn,” said Jason J. Carley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami.
“While those loan programs have ended, the FBI’s commitment to seeking out those who defrauded
the government continues. Millions of taxpayer dollars earmarked for CARES Act programs were
diverted away from the intended recipients by illegal activity. If you defrauded these programs, know
that our investigators will continue to follow the money right to your doorstep.”
The actions of fraudsters have basically taken money from struggling people doing their best to endure
the pandemic.
“These defendants are alleged to have defrauded a program intended to assist hardworking Americans
who have been unfairly impacted as a result of this unprecedented and challenging health crisis,” said
Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Anthony Salisbury, HSI Miami. “HSI remains committed to working
with our law enforcement partners to bring every asset to bear against anyone who seeks to take
advantage of the pandemic to deliberately harm and deceive others for their own profit.”
That fraudsters have taken advantage of a critical health situation only seems to bolster the efforts to
take them down.
“It is very unfortunate that criminals have seized on the COVID-19 pandemic as a money-making
opportunity and created fraudulent schemes to steal from federal programs designed to assist law-
abiding Americans,” said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-
CI), Miami Field Office. “We continue relentlessly committed to working with our law enforcement
partners to aggressively pursue criminal investigations and hold crooks accountable for fraudulently
profiting from CARES Act programs.”
“The allegations in these matters are very disturbing,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector
General for Tax Administration. “Exploiting some of the most vulnerable people in our society will not
be tolerated. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively investigates abuse
of the Federal tax system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure
that those who endeavor to corrupt federal tax administration are prosecuted to the fullest extent of
the law.”
As much success as the agencies pursuing this type of criminal activity have had, there still remains
work to be done.
“An important mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate
allegations of fraud related to the unemployment insurance program,” said Mathew Broadhurst,
Special Agent-in-Charge, Atlanta Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “The
DOL-OIG fully supports the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Strike Force Team program. Through
collaboration and leveraging of resources, the federal law enforcement community has made great
strides in holding COVID-19 fraudsters accountable but there is more work to be done. We will
continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our strike team partners to safeguard
unemployment compensation benefit programs for those who most need them.”
It is a team effort that everyone should take pride in.
“The DHS Office of Inspector General thanks the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement
partners for significant collaboration within the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force,” said Dr. Joseph V.
Cuffari, Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. DHS OIG will continue to
investigate these crimes and to help ensure the integrity of DHS programs.”
Criminal enforcement in the Southern District of Florida to combat COVID-19/CARES Act-related
financial fraud schemes have proceeded on numerous fronts, including:
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud: Prominent among the District’s efforts have been
cases involving attempts to obtain PPP loans through fraud. These loans were intended to help small
businesses financially survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The cases charged in the district involve a
range of conduct, from individual business owners who have inflated their payroll expenses to obtain
larger loans than they otherwise would have qualified for to serial fraudsters who revived dormant
corporations and purchased shell companies with no actual operations to apply for multiple
loans. They then falsely stated they had significant payroll to organized criminal networks submitting
identical loan applications and supporting documents under the names of different companies.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) fraud: Another type of fraud charged in the district
has been fraud against the EIDL program, which was designed to provide loans to small businesses,
agricultural, and non-profit entities. Fraudsters have targeted the program by applying for EIDL
advances and loans on behalf of ineligible, newly-created shell or non-existent businesses and
diverting the funds for illegal purposes.
Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than $860 billion
in federal funds has been appropriated for UI benefits through September 2021. People looking to
exploit UI benefits during the pandemic use stolen identities to fraudulently file for UI benefits.
RECENT PROSECUTIONS
In recent weeks, the district has charged 23 COVID-19 relief fraud cases, with scheme amounts totaling
over $150 million. It is alleged that the defendants in these cases received over $35 million.
United States v. Hernandez, Case No. 22-mj-03333
The Southern District of Florida recently charged Daniel Hernandez, 50, a Market Manager for a top
national bank, with orchestrating a $30 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. According to the
criminal complaint affidavit, Hernandez – who oversaw 80 bank employees and more than 20
branches throughout South Florida – recruited bank customers and at least one former bank employee
to submit over 90 fraudulent PPP loan applications. It is alleged that Hernandez advised the recruits
on how to file the applications and what to include in them, then used his position at the bank to ensure
the fraudulent loans were reviewed and, when possible, approved. The applications sought over $30
million in fraud proceeds. The investigation to date has identified over $15 million in fraudulent loans
issued.
In addition to Hernandez, the Southern District has charged others with participating in the
fraud. Willian Alexander Posada Sandrea pled guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 24,
2022 (22-cr-20194).
Armando De Leon, who worked at the bank with Hernandez, was charged with conspiracy to commit
wire fraud (22-20420-CR-KMM). Javier Alfonso Barata (22-mj-3095), and Alvaro Enrique Castillo
along with Douglas David Melean Socorro (22-mj-2928) have also been charged.
FDIC-OIG, FBI Miami, SBA-OIG, and the Florida Department of Revenue investigated this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin of the Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the case, which
charges Hernandez with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling forfeiture.
United States v. Emile, Case No. 22-cr-60176
The Southern District recently charged Herbert Emile, 41, with participating in a $100 million COVID-
19 relief fraud scheme. In 2019, the FDIC-OIG began investigating a group of individuals who were
using shell companies, stolen personal identification information – including stolen social security
numbers-- and synthetic identities to commit fraud against several federally-insured banks in the
United States.
When the CARES Act was enacted in 2020, members of the conspiracy used their pre-established shell
companies to steal millions of dollars from the Act’s programs. In total, members of this conspiracy
and their associates are responsible for stealing over $100 million from U.S. banks and PPP/CARES
Act programs.
In addition to Emile, others were also charged in this district with participating in the fraud
scheme. These defendants have pled guilty: Hasan Hakim Brown, 46; Jean Renald Fleuridor, 42; Raul
Mauricio Gonzalez, 48; and Lorin George Saunders, 40.
FDIC-OIG and the United States Secret Service investigated the case. SBA-OIG and FBI Miami
assisted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Watson is prosecuting the case.
United States v. Philossaint Case No. 22-cr-08336
United States v. Tollinchi, 22-cr-08337
United States v. Shazier, et al., 22-cr-08357
In cases alleging PPP fraud, EIDL fraud, and loan forgiveness application fraud, a South Florida
federal grand jury recently charged Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 32, of Miramar, Florida; Mariel
Tollinchi, 35, of Miramar, Florida; Maurice Shazier, 50, of Fort Pierce, Florida; David Andre Johnson,
52, of Lauderhill, Florida; Regine Marie Rene, 32, of Boynton Beach, Florida; and Brianna Monique
Gayle, 23, of Riviera Beach, Florida, with conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering, as
well as with aggravated identity theft. Philossaint also was charged with obtaining U.S. citizenship
through fraud.
It is alleged that Philossaint and Gayle, working through one of Philossaint’s businesses, worked with
others to prepare PPP and EIDL loan applications, as well as loan forgiveness applications, on behalf
of dozens of companies that falsely certified their number of employees, their revenue, and their
business expenses. As alleged, to support the EIDL and PPP loan applications, and the PPP loan
forgiveness applications, the defendants prepared and submitted fake IRS documents and created
payroll accounts with a national payroll processing company using stolen identities to make it appear
that the companies had paid wages, which they never did.
According to the allegations, Philossaint charged a kickback of 10 percent of the funded loans and
required others to disguise the kickback payments by splitting them into smaller amounts and writing
“advertising” on the memo lines of the checks.
It is alleged that Philossaint and his fiancée, Tollinchi, directly received PPP and EIDL loans of nearly
$500,000, in addition to kickback payments; Shazier received PPP and EIDL loans totaling $873,328;
Johnson received PPP and EIDL loans totaling $443,792; and Rene received PPP and EIDL loans
totaling $183,906. It is also alleged that the 26 companies for which Philossaint and Gayle set up
payroll processing received at least 33 PPP and EIDL loans totaling more than $4.8 million.
SBA-OIG, U.S. Secret Service, FBI Miami, IRS-CI Miami (West Palm Beach), and HSI Miami are
investigating the case. The West Palm Beach U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting it.
United States v. Almaguer, et al., Case No. 22-cr-80118
According to the indictment, Defendants Leiner Pena Infante, Yandre Garcia Hernandez, Eduardo
Ramos Leyva and others gave Yunior Barrera Almaguer information about companies they controlled
so that Barrera could use the information to fraudulently apply for PPP loans. The conspirators
received approximately $8 million in PPP funds and spent much of the loan proceeds for their personal
use and benefit. After receiving the loans, the defendants named above laundered the funds along
with co-defendants Jorge S. Alvarez, Dariel Garcia Carmona, and Jose Raul Amaro – who had
separately obtained their own fraudulent PPP loans, according to the charges. FBI Miami investigated
the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Osborne is prosecuting the case.
United States v. Diaz, et al., Case No. 22-cr-20354
Aisladys Diaz, 45, of Miami, Florida, her daughter Ailensy Buron Diaz, 29, of Miami, Florida, Berto
Omar Rodriguez Fonseca, 33, of Cutler Bay, Florida, and husband and wife Yandys Diaz, 29, and
Yainelis Perez Diaz, 33, of Hialeah, Florida, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit
access device fraud, use of an unauthorized access device, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to
commit wire fraud and wire fraud. According to allegations in the indictment, in May 2020, Aisladys
Diaz, a former aide employed at a nursing home in Homestead, Florida, stole the personal identifying
information (“PII”) of two elderly residents in her care. The conspirators used the PII of these elderly
victims in several schemes including one where a fraudulent Economic Disaster Injury Disaster Loan,
an SBA loan under the CARES Act was applied for. FBI Miami and TIGTA investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Lois Foster-Steers is prosecuting it.
United States v. Ferguson, Case No. 22-cr-60164
Ego Ferguson, 53, of Pompano Beach, Florida, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and
engaging in financial transactions in criminally derived property. The indictment alleges that
Ferguson caused the preparation of false/fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of various
companies that falsely certified number of employees and employee payroll. As alleged, Ferguson
caused the submission of these fraudulent PPP loan applications to a loan processor and Ferguson also
provided fraudulent IRS forms that falsely indicated that these companies had paid employee wages
and taxes that the companies had not actually paid. The indictment alleges that that Ego Ferguson
charged a fee of twenty percent for these loans and that Ferguson maintained a spreadsheet showing
the submission of apparent PPP loans totaling over $6 million. IRS-CI Miami, FDIC-OIG, FRB and
the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Berger is
prosecuting the case.
United States v. Carrillo et al., Case No. 22-cr-20368
Kenia Carrillo, 45, Roberto Lopez, 50, Lester Hedman Safont, 51, Oreste Ruiz Linares, 51, Honolio
Navarro Caballero, 39, Barbara Alvarez, 44, Javier Pico, 56, Alfredo Contrera, 50, and Erisbel Gonzalez
Gomez, 43, have been charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud,
conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. The indictment charges that the
group, and others, participated in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent PPP applications and obtained
over $2.6 million in fraudulent loan proceeds. Once they obtained the money, instead of spending it
on payroll and other permissible business expenses, the group laundered the funds by issuing checks
to each other to conceal the fraud. The U.S. Secret Service and SBA-OIG, with the assistance of the
Miami-Dade Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Haggerty is
prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna is handling asset forfeiture.
United States v. Hermoso, Case No. 22-cr-20360
Maritza Morales Hermoso, 57, Miami, Florida, was charged by Indictment with conspiracy to commit
wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The Indictment charges that Hermoso and others
participated in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications and obtained
approximately $1.5 million in fraudulent loan proceeds. Specifically, the Indictment charges that
Hermoso submitted six PPP loan applications and two EIDL applications for eight different
businesses. The Indictment also alleges that once Hermoso obtained the loan proceeds, instead of
spending it on payroll and other permissible business expenses, she used it for cosmetic surgery,
gambling, and to buy a Cadillac. She often disguised her misuse of funds by laundering the proceeds
through multiple unrelated business accounts or withdrawing the money in cash, it is alleged. U.S.
Secret Service and the SBA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi is
prosecuting it.
United States v. Joseph, Case No. 22-cr-60162
Sherry Joseph, 33, of New York, was charged by indictment with wire fraud conspiracy and wire
fraud. The indictment alleges that Joseph, while on federal pretrial release in a separate case in the
District of New Jersey, participated in a conspiracy to submit millions of dollars of fraudulent PPP
loan applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Joseph used aliases to hide her identity
while coordinating between the scheme ringleader and several individuals she recruited to seek
fraudulent PPP loans through the scheme. Joseph also demanded and received kickbacks from recruits
who received fraudulent PPP loans through the scheme, it is alleged. IRS-CI Miami investigated the
case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiran N. Bhat and Department of Justice (DOJ) Trial Attorney Philip B.
Trout are prosecuting it.
United States v. Sheppard, Case No. 22-cr-20290
Eric Dean Sheppard, 53, of Bal Harbour, Florida, was charged by indictment with six counts of wire
fraud. The indictment alleges that Sheppard, through three different entities that he controlled,
applied for and obtained EIDL and PPP loan proceeds in excess of $900,000. He falsified tax forms
and misrepresented the borrowing entities’ revenues, monthly payroll, and numbers of
employees. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein is
prosecuting it.
United States v. Jacquez, Case No. 22-cr-60171
Florencio Jacquez, 41, of Cape Coral, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit
wire fraud. The information against Jacquez alleges that Jacquez participated in a conspiracy to
submit millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loan applications. Specifically, the information alleges
that Jacquez received a fraudulent PPP loan of $801,250 for his own company, Next Auto Body,
LLC. The U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI Miami, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S.
Attorney Amanda Perwin is prosecuting it.
United States v. Harricharan, Case No. 22-cr-60173
Keegan Harricharan, 39, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to
commit wire fraud. The information against Harricharan alleges that Harricharan participated in a
conspiracy to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent PPP loan applications. Specifically, the
information alleges that Harricharan received a fraudulent PPP loan of $840,827 for his own
company, World Scientific Industrial and Medical, Inc. The U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI Miami, FBI
Miami, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Perwin is prosecuting it.
United States v. Sales, Case No. 22-cr-60172
Abdolrahman Sales, 26, of Lake Elsinore, California, was charged by information and pled guilty to
conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on
November 7, 2022, before Judge William P. Dimitrouleas of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida. In pleading guilty, Sales admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to
obtain a fraudulent PPP loan. Specifically, Sales admitted that he received a fraudulent PPP loan of
$407,727 for his company, Kyng Simba, Inc. His loan application included falsified bank statements
and payroll tax forms that overrepresented the company’s number of employees and monthly payroll.
Sales also admitted that he paid kickbacks to co-conspirators for their roles in helping him obtain this
fraudulent PPP loan. IRS-CI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiran N. Bhat and
DOJ Trial Attorney Philip B. Trout are prosecuting it.
United States v. Kelly, Case No. 22-cr-20168
Randy Kelly, 35, of Miami, was charged by information and pled guilty to conspiracy to commit an
offense against the United States. He was sentenced August 19, 2022, before Judge Robert N. Scola of
the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. In pleading guilty, Kelly admitted
that he participated in a conspiracy to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan. Specifically, Kelly admitted that
he received a fraudulent PPP loan of $495,822 for his company, Connected Forever LLC, after
submitting a loan application that included falsified bank statements and payroll tax forms that
overrepresented the company’s number of employees and monthly payroll. Kelly also admitted that
he paid kickbacks to a co-conspirator who helped obtain this fraudulent PPP loan. IRS-CI Miami and
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiran N. Bhat and DOJ Trial Attorney Philip
B. Trout prosecuted it.
United States v. Rojas, Case No. 22-cr-20364
Yadira Escobar Rojas, 34, of Homestead, Florida, was charged by information with wire fraud. The
information alleges that Escobar Rojas submitted two false and fraudulent EIDL applications and one
false and fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of two different entities she controlled, Los
Molinos Trucking, Inc. and Molino Fish Inc. She received over $495,000 in fraud proceeds. FBI
Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin is prosecuting it.
United States v. Floradin, Case No. 22-cr-20361
Elie Floradin, 59, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and money laundering
in connection with the alleged repeated submission of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program
(“PPP”) applications on behalf of his purported hiring agency business, You’re Hired Employment
Agency, LLC (“You’re Hired”). The indictment alleges that, in July 2020, Floradin caused the
submission of a false and fraudulent PPP application on behalf of You’re Hired, which resulted in the
disbursement of approximately $199,999 in federal COVID-19 assistance funds directly into Floradin’s
personal bank account. Shortly thereafter, the government alleges that Floradin transferred
approximately $177,000 of those funds into a different account that he controlled, knowing that the
PPP funds were derived from unlawful activity. The indictment further alleges that Floradin then filed
multiple (unsuccessful) “second draw” applications, attempting to once again fraudulently obtain
COVID-19 assistance funds in the year 2021, including through the use of falsified federal tax forms,
all in an effort to continue to enrich himself and others. TIGTA and the Florida Office of Financial
Regulations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr., is
prosecuting it.
United States v. Izzo, Case No. 22-cr-60155
Jennifer Pamela Izzo, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and
aggravated identity theft for her alleged months-long embezzlement scheme against her former
employer’s company, through which she misappropriated company funds and attempted to personally
enrich herself from a COVID-relief loan submitted on behalf of the Broward-based company. The
indictment charges that from October 2019 to April 2020, Izzo abused her position as the company’s
bookkeeper and accounts payable clerk by creating fictitious accounts in the names of the company’s
real vendors, to carry out fraudulent charges using the company’s credit cards, ultimately funneling
the funds into her own personal bank account. The indictment further charges that Izzo abused her
position by filing an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, which she had been asked to file on behalf of the
company to apply for federal COVID-assistance funds, but which she submitted with her own personal
bank account information to personally enrich herself. The U.S. Secret Service and the Fort
Lauderdale Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eduardo
Gardea, Jr. is prosecuting it.
United States v. Hyppolite, Case No. 22-cr-20394
Mackinson Hyppolite, 33, of Miami, was charged by indictment with using someone else’s identity to
fraudulently apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) for a COVID-19 relief advance
grant and low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) loan for a company to which Hyppolite
had no connection. According to the indictment, the loan application falsely certified, among other
things, that an individual named “D.A.” owned the company and had suffered economic injury due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, Hyppolite, not D.A., filed the application and neither Hyppolite
nor D.A. had any relationship to the company. The indictment alleges that Hyppolite possessed and
used D.A.’s personal identifying information without her knowledge or authorization, including her
social security number. As a result of the fraudulent application, the SBA preapproved Hyppolite for
a $26,600 federal loan.
The Indictment charges Hyppolite with one count of wire fraud, one count of access device fraud, and
three counts of aggravated identity theft. The Office of Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration (TIGTA) and FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J.
Rosenzweig is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna is handling asset forfeiture.
United States v. Potokri, Case No. 22-cr-60147
Obukowho Potokri, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was charged by indictment with theft of
government funds. Potokri is alleged to have fraudulently received unemployment insurance benefits
that were issued to an individual named “D.M.” The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General
investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Albite of the Southern District of Florida is
prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling forfeiture.
United States v. Hilaire, Case No. 22-cr-60175
Chirac Hilaire, 41, of Broward County, Florida, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and money
laundering. The indictment against Hilaire alleges that Hilaire participated in the submission of
several fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Hilaire
received fraudulent PPP loan proceeds amounting to approximately $150,000 for his own company,
Hilaire LLC. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Astigarraga is
prosecuting it.
United States v. Sarmiento Carrion, Case No. 22-mj-03412
Yoliesse Sarmiento, 39, of Miami, Florida, has been charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud.
Sarmiento conspired with others to file a fraudulent PPP loan application. In May of 2020, he re-
instated a company that had been dissolved in 2019 and listed himself as the sole officer of the
company. Two weeks later, a co-conspirator submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application for the
company and included a forged bank statement with the application. Sarmiento received $255,000 in
PPP funds and, over two weeks, depleted the entirety of the funds. The U.S. Secret Service and SBA-
OIG, with the assistance of the Miami-Dade Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S.
Attorney Thomas Haggerty is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna is handling asset
forfeiture.
PLEASE NOTE: Criminal complaints, informations, and indictments contain mere
allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Topic(s):
Coronavirus
Disaster Fraud
Component(s):
USAO - Florida, Southern
Contact:
Public Affairs Unit U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida USAFLS.News@usdoj.gov
Updated September 15, 2022
File and source
- File
- 2022-09-19-South-Florida-U-S-Attorney-s-Office-to-Lead-COVID-19-Fraud-Strike-Force-Team-Against-Pandemic-Relie.pdf
- Size
- 391,870 bytes
- SHA-256
- 95785addcf54d60a74e9ea62b8d390aae5910da20a39bbb7652f4afc9997853e
- Original
- No public link identified.