Ringleader of COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Federal Prison

Summary

A January 21, 2025 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio announcing that U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins sentenced Joseph Lentine III, 55, of Cincinnati to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Lentine had pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to commit bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan or credit application. The release states that he prepared and filed more than 20 loan applications seeking more than $3 million and obtaining $1.5 million, and also sought unemployment and emergency rental assistance. It says he personally received more than $450,000 in PPP proceeds and bought a yacht and a Mercedes Benz, and was ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the SBA and nearly $33,000 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

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“Ringleader of COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Federal Prison.” Original at www.justice.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-01-21-ringleader-of-covid-19-relief-fraud-scheme-sentenced-to-fed-d0322fa60b/, SHA-256 19f23d1bdc7bf5fb2ff3b5fc71e123e22394b8e80deadb9ed327561aaa0d6fd8.

Full text

CINCINNATI – Joseph Lentine III, 55, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme involving millions of dollars.
According to court documents, Lentine oversaw a fraud scheme in which he prepared and filed fraudulent loan applications and controlled a significant portion of the loan proceeds once obtained. He knowingly and intentionally made false statements to receive funds to which he and other applicants were not entitled. In addition to defrauding Small Business Administration loan programs, Lentine also fraudulently sought unemployment assistance and emergency rental assistance.
In total, Lentine submitted more than 20 loan applications seeking more than $3 million and obtaining $1.5 million.
The defendant personally received more than $450,000 in PPP loan proceeds related to this scheme and used the money to buy a yacht and a Mercedes Benz vehicle.
As part of his sentence, Lentine was ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration and nearly $33,000 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Lentine pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to commit bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan or credit application.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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