Apopka Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for COVID-19 Fraud
Summary
A U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida press release dated 2026-05-11 announcing that U.S. District Judge Dalton sentenced Emmet Bowens of Apopka to 63 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering, with a forfeiture order of $739,582. According to court documents cited in the release, Bowens applied for a PPP loan on May 5, 2020 for "Buccaneer Technologies," claiming 102 employees and an average monthly payroll of $295,883, with fraudulent tax records, and filed Articles of Incorporation six days after applying. It states that $739,582 was disbursed to his personal account, which he moved into new accounts and spent partly on a cross-country road trip. After release on bond he cut off his ankle monitor and was a fugitive for a year and a half.
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“Apopka Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for COVID-19 Fraud.”
Original at www.justice.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2026-05-11-apopka-man-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-covid-19-fraud-e-a90f013c9a/
, SHA-256 2ff82bf46a7725ff8dc94c9995935cd54b0515979bf06302b05b7ae3a72b367d.Full text
Orlando, FL – Emmet Bowens (57, Apopka) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dalton to 63 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $739,582, the proceeds of the offenses. Bowens pleaded guilty on January 26, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on May 5, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bowens submitted a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application claiming to own the business “Buccaneer Technologies.” The PPP was a provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted to provide immediate assistance to individuals, families, and organizations affected by the COVID-19 emergency. Under the terms of the program, the loans were backed by the United States Small Business Administration and the full principal amount of could qualify for forgiveness. As part of his application, Bowens certified that Buccaneer Technologies had 102 employees with an average monthly payroll of $295,883. In support of his loan application, Bowens submitted fraudulent tax records. Bowens also filed Articles of Incorporation for his sham business six days after his loan application was filed. The IP address used to submit the loan application was registered to Bowens’ residential address. The application information included Bowens’ social security number and a copy of his drivers license. The loan was approved in the amount of $739,582 which was disbursed to Bowens’ personal checking account. Bowens then further distributed the funds into various accounts, including funding three new accounts with $250,000, $250,000 and $115,000, respectively. Bowens spent some of the funds on across-country road trip, during which he and his wife were captured on bank surveillance withdrawing $44,000 in cash. After being charged and released on bond conditions, Bowens cut off his ankle monitor and fled the jurisdiction. Bowens was a fugitive for a year and a half before being located and arrested in the Northern District of Mississippi. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Small Business Administration. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel S. Lyons and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Andrejko. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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