Attorney General Announces Task Force to Combat Covid 19 Fraud Covid Task Fraud Fact Sheet

Summary

COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force Fact Sheet. It states that the Attorney General has directed the establishment of the Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government, organized and led by the Deputy Attorney General. It states that the Department of Justice has charged nearly 600 defendants to date with crimes involving over $600 million in 56 federal districts. The fact sheet lists what the Task Force will do, including detecting and disrupting future fraud and assisting in the recovery of stolen funds, and names Department of Justice entities and key interagency partners that are members. It closes with a list of case examples drawn from Department of Justice announcements.

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COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force
FACT SHEET

Background

The Attorney General has directed the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task
Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across
government to enhance enforcement efforts against COVID-19 related fraud. The Task Force will
be organized and led by the Deputy Attorney General.

Over the past year, the Department of Justice has led an historic enforcement initiative to detect
and disrupt COVID-19 related fraud, charging nearly 600 defendants to date with crimes involving
over $600 million in 56 federal districts around the country.

A whole-of-government enforcement effort is critical to protecting these essential relief programs,
which are so important to the health and welfare of Americans everywhere. Working across
agencies will help every agency’s efforts to thwart those who treat the pandemic as an opportunity
for illegal profit.

“The Department of Justice will use every available federal tool—including criminal, civil, and
administrative actions—to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud. We look forward to
working with our federal government colleagues to bring to justice those who seek to profit
unlawfully from the pandemic,” wrote Attorney General Garland in a memo announcing the
Task Force.

Creation of the Task Force will augment the work that is already underway. The Task Force will:
• Detect and disrupt future fraud;
• Support the investigation and prosecution of the most culpable offenders;
• Assist in the recovery of stolen funds;
• Work closely with our interagency partners to share information and insights gained from
prior enforcement experience in order to reduce the potential threat to the American people
and COVID-19 relief;
• Help agencies tasked with administering these significant relief programs increase their
own vigilance by providing information law enforcement learns about fraud trends and
illicit tactics, as appropriate;
• Field a public awareness campaign through fraud alerts and a dedicated DOJ website with
resources to help the American people take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones,
and their communities; and
• Serve as a deterrent, amplifying the message that exploiting government assistance for
personal and financial gain will not be tolerated.

Members

Led by the Deputy Attorney General, the Task Force augments and incorporates existing
coordination mechanisms within the Department and will continue to work in close coordination
with other efforts underway throughout the federal government.

Entities within the Department of Justice, or their designees:
-
Heads of Litigating Components
-
United States Attorneys
-
The Executive Office for United States Attorneys
-
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
-
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
-
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
-
The National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force
-
INTERPOL Washington

Key interagency partners:
-
Department of Labor
-
Department of the Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Service
-
Department of Homeland Security, including the United States Secret Service
-
Small Business Administration
-
Department of Health and Human Services, including the Food and Drug Administration
-
Department of Veterans Affairs
-
Social Security Administration
-
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
-
Federal Housing Finance Agency
-
Federal Reserve Board
-
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
-
Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief (SIGPR)
-
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC)

Case Examples

-
Man Purchased Lamborghini After Receiving $3.9 Million in PPP Loans | OPA |
Department of Justice
-
Irvine Man Arrested on Federal Grand Jury Indictment Alleging He Fraudulently
Obtained $5 Million in COVID-Relief PPP Loans
-
Four Additional Members of Los Angeles-Based Fraud Ring Indicted for Exploiting
COVID-Relief Programs
-
Nine charged in $24 million COVID-relief fraud scheme
-
Texas Man Charged In $24 Million COVID-Relief Fraud
-
Seven Charged in Connection with a COVID-Relief Fraud Scheme Involving more than
80 Fraudulent Loan Applications Worth Approximately $16 Million
-
Florida Man who Used COVID-Relief Funds to Purchase Lamborghini Sports Car
Charged in Miami Federal Court

-
CARES Act Fraud Investigations Identify Twenty-Three Individuals Targeting Thirty-
One Million Dollars
-
Twelve Individuals Indicted And Arrested For Unemployment Benefits And Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Fraud
-
Defendant Charged In $1.4 Million Covid-19 Fraud Scheme
-
Russell Co. Woman Pleads Guilty to $499,000 Unemployment Fraud Scheme
-
Rapper Who Bragged about Unemployment Benefits Scam in Music Video Arrested for
Allegedly Bilking COVID-19 Jobless Relief Program
-
Two Charged with Conspiring with State Contractor in Multi-million Dollar
Unemployment Fraud Scheme

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