Information — United States v. Leonel Rivero (Southern District of Florida, Document 1, March 16, 2021)
Summary
Information filed March 16, 2021, in United States v. Leonel Rivero, Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU, Document 1, in the Southern District of Florida. The United States Attorney charges wire fraud. The information alleges that Rivero, the principal and registered agent of Rivero Tax Group Inc., a tax preparation business, submitted PPP loan applications to SBA Loan Processor 1 that together sought approximately $2,334,064. It alleges that Rivero and accomplices received approximately $975,582 in PPP loan funds. Forfeiture allegations, a penalty sheet and a waiver of an indictment follow.
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“Information — United States v. Leonel Rivero (Southern District of Florida, Document 1, March 16, 2021).”
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Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 1 of 9JA
Mar 16, 2021
UNITED STATES DISTRICT C O URT
SO UTH ERN DISTRICT O F FLO RIDA
21-20160-CR-UNGARO/REID
CASE NO .
18 U.S.C.j 1343
18U.S.C.j981(a)(1)(C)
UNITED STATES OF AM ERICA
LEONEL RIVERO,
Defendant.
/
INFO RM ATIO N
The United StatesAttom ey chargesthat:
G ENERAL ALLEGATIO NS
Ata1ltim esrelevantto thislnformation'
.
Defendant LEO NEL RIVERO was a resident of M iam i-Dade County,Florida.
RIVERO w'
asthe principaland registered agentofRivero Tax Group Inc-,a Florida corporation
registered on oraboutM ay 2s20l6. Rivero Tax Group wasa tax preparation business.
TheCoronavirusAid,Relief,and EconomicSecuritj,(CARES)Actwasafederal
Iaw enacted in M arch 2020.to provide tsnancialassistance to Am ericanssuffering econom icharm
from the COV ID-l9 pandem ic. One source ofrelief provided through the CARES Actwasthe
atlthorizationofforgivableloanstobusinessesforjobrctentionandcertainotherexpenses,through
aprogram calledthePaycheckProtection Program (PPP).
Among the types of businesses eligible for a PPP loan B'ere individuals who
operatedunderaé-soleproprietorship'-businessstructure.Such individualswereeligibleto receive
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 2 of 9
a m axim um PPP loan of up to $20,833 to cover lost compensation or income from the sole
proprietorship.
4. ln orderto be eligible to receive such a PPP loan,individtlals had to reportand
docum enttheir income and expenses from the sole proprietorship,as typically reported to the
InternalRevenueSen'ice(IRS)on Form l040,ScheduleC,foragiventaxyear.
The CARES Actrequired PPP loan applicationsto be processed by a participating
lender. lfa PPP loan application wasapproved,theparticipating Ienderwould fund the PPP loan
using itsownmonics,whichwereguaranteedbytheSmallBusinessAdm inistration(SBA).Data
from the application,including information aboutthe bonower,the totalam ountofthe Ioan,and
the listcd number of employees, were transmitted by the lender to the SBA in the çourse of
processing the loan.
SBA Loan Processor Iwas a Gnancial-technology com pany based in California.
SBA Loan Processorlparticipated in thePPP by,am ong otherthings,acting asaserviceprovider
forsm allbusinessesand certain Ienders. Smallbusinessesseeking a PPP loan couldapply through
SBA Loan Processor 1,w hich would rcview the PPP loan applications. Ifa PPP loan application
received was approved forfunding-a partnerfinancialinstitution disbursed the loan funds to the
applicant. Underthe PPP,the SBA agreed to guarantee Ioans provided by participant lenders
undercertain conditions.
7. W ellsFargoBank,N.A.(W ellsFargo)wasafederally insured financialinstitution
based in South Dakota.
8. Rivero Tax Group Inc.m aintained bank accountsatW ellsFargo in M iam i,Florida.
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 3 of 9
W ireFraud
(18U.S.C.j1343)
Froln in oraround M ay 2020,through in oraround June 2020,in M iam i-Dade County.in
the Southern D istrictofFlorida,and elsew here,the defendant,
LEO NEL RIVERO ,
did know ingly,and w ith intentto defraud,devise and intend to devise a schem e and artifice to
defraud and to obtain m oney and property by m eansofmaterially false and fraudulentpretenses,
representations,and prom ises,knowing thatthe pretenses,representations,and prom ises were
false and fraudulentwhen made,and forthe purpose ofexecuting such schem e and artitsce to
defraudsdid k'nowingly transm itand cause to betransm itted by meansofw irecomm unicationsin
interstate and foreign comlnerce,certain writings,signs,signals,pictures,and sounds.
PURPO SE O F TH E SCH EM E AND ARTIFICE
ltwas the purpose ofthe scheme and artifice for the defendantand his accom plices to
un-i
ustlyenrichthemselvesbysubmitting falseand fraudulentPPP Ioanapplicationsto SBA Loan
Processor l- which contained false incom e and expense inform ation- and then use the
subsequentloan proceedsfortheirown personalbenefit.
M ANNER AND M EANS O F TH E SCHEM E AND ARTIFIC E
The m anner and means by which tbe defendant, LEO NEL RIVERO. sought to
accom plish tlzescheme and artillce to defraud included,am ong others,the following:
9. LEO NEL R IVERO subm itted to SBA Loan Processor1 approximately ll8 PPP
Ioan applications on behalf of him self and his accom plices. Com bined, the ll8 PPP Ioan
applicationssoughtapproxim ately $2,334,064 in PPP loan funds.
l0. On each PPP loan applications LEONEL RIV ERO falsely stated the named
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 4 of 9
applicant'sprior-yearincom eand expenses. In support,RIVERO repeatedly subm itted false and
fraudulent IRS form s, which pum orted to docum ent incom e and expenses from the nam ed
applicant-ssole proprietorship.
lI. LEO NEL RIVERO and hisaccomplieesreccived approximately $975,582 in PPP
Ioan fundsasa resultofthe false and fraudulentPPP Ioan applicationsRIV ERO subm itted.
USE O F TH E W IRES
OnoraboutM ay 15,2020,thedefendant,forthepurposeofexecuting the aforesaid schem e
and artifice to defraud and to obtain m oney and property by m eans of m aterially false and
fraudulentpretenses,representations,and prom ises,km owing thatthe pretenses,representations,
and promises were false and fraudulent when m ade,did knowingly transm it and cause to be
translnitted by m eansofwirecom m unicationsin interstateand foreigncom merce,certain writings,
signs,signals.picturesand sounds,thatis,an electronic application from South Florida,to SBA
Loan Processor 1,in California,fora PPP loan in the nam e ofLEO NEL RIVERO ,in violation
ofTitle 18,United States Code,Sections I343 and 2.
FORFEITURE
(I8 U.S.C.j981(a)(1)(C))
TheallegationsofthisInform ation arehereby re-alleged and by thisreferencefully
incorporated herein forthe purpose ofalleging forfeiture to the United States ofcertain property
in which thedefendant.LEO NEL RIVERO ,hasan interest.
Upon conviction ofa violation ofTitle 18,United States Code,Section l343.as
alleged in thisInformation,the defendantshallforfeitto the United States any property,realor
personal,which constittltesorisderived from proceedstraceableto such offense,pursuantto Title
18,United StatesCode,Section981(a)(1)(C).
4
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 5 of 9
Thepropertysubjecttoforfeitureasaresultoftheallegedoffenseincludes.bntis
notlim ited to,the following:a sum of$975,582.00 in U .S.currency,which sum represents the
value ofthe property subjectto forfeiture and Nvhich may be soughtasa forfeiture money
'
Judglnent'
,and
Ifanyofthepropertysubjecttoforfeiture.asaresultofanyactoromissionofthe
defendant:
a. cannotbe located upon theexercise ofdue diligence;
b. hasbeen transferred orsold to,ordeposited w ith,a third party:
c. hasbeenplacedbeyondthejurisdictionofthecourt;
d. hasbeen substantially dim inished in value;or
e. hasbeen com m ingled with otherproperty which cannotbe divided w ithout
difficultyv
the United Statesshallbe entitled to f-orfeiture ofsubstituteproperty underthe provisionsofTitle
2l,United StatesCode,Section 853(p).which substituteproperty includesbutisnotIimitedto,
the following:
a. $197,611.0I form erly on deposit in accountnulnber6079717002 atNvells Fargo
Bank,N .A.,held inthe nam e ofRivero Tax Group.lnc.;and
b. approxim ately $773,600.00 in U .S.currency seized from the defendant'sresidence
on oraboutSeptember28,2020.
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 6 of 9
A1lptlrstlantto Title18,UnitedStatesCode,Section98l(a)(l)(C),andtheproceduresset
forth atl'itle 2l,United StatesCode.Section 853 asincorporated b),Title 28,United StatesCode,
Section2461(c).
*V
W . z' *
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ARIAN A FAJARDO O RSHAN
UNI'I'ED STATES ATTORNEY
HER B.BROW NE
ASSISTAN T tJNITED STATES ATTO RN EY
rDAN IEL KA HN
ACTIN G CHIEF,FRAUD SECTION
U.S.DEPA RTM ENT OF JUSTICE
bELLA SENTILLES
TRIAI-AR-FO RNEY,IJRAUD SECTION
U.S.DEPARTM EN T O F JUSTICE
6
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 7 of 9
UNITED STATES DISTRICT CO URT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
UNITEB STATESOF AM ERICA
V.
LEONEL RIS'ERO, CERTIFICATE OF TRIAL ATTO RNEY-
Superseding CaseInformation:
Defendant- /
CourtDivijion:(seleclœ el New defendantts) Yes No
@' M lami Key Nvest Num berofnew defendants
FTL W PB FTP Totalnumberofcounts
Ihave carefully considered theallegationsof1he indictment,thentlmberofdefendants, the numberof
probable witnessesandthe IegalcomplexitiesoftheIndictment/lnformationattachedhereto.
2. Iam aware thalthe information supplied on this statementwillbe relied upon by the Judgesofthis
Courtin setting theircalendarsand scheduling criminaltrials underthe mandate ofthe Speedy Trial
Act,Title28U.S.C.Section 3l6l.
lnterpreter: (YesorN0) No
LislIanguageand/ordialect
4. Thiscasewilltake 0 daysfor1hepartiestotry.
5. Pleasecheckappropriatecategory andtypeofoffense listed below:
(Cbeckonll'orel 4Checkonlyone)
I 0 to 5 days 7 Petty
11 6 to 10 days M inor
Ill 11to 20 days slisdem.
IV 2lto 60 days Felony ë'
V 6ldaysand over
6. Hasthiscasepreviouslybeen15ledinthisDistriclCourt? (YesorNo) No
lfyes:Judge CaseN o.
(Attachcopyofdispositiveorder)
Hasacomplaintbeenfiled in thismatter? (YesorNO) XO
Ifyes:M agistrateCaseNo.
Related miscellaneousnumbers:
Defendantls)infederalcustodyasof
Defendantts)instatecustodyasof
Rule20 from theDistrictof
lsthisapotentialdeathpenaltycase?(YesorNo) NQ -
Doesthiscaseoriginatefrom amatterpending intlleCentralRegion oftheU.S.Attorney'sOffice
priortoAugust9,2013(Mag.JudgeAlicia0.Valle)? Yes No *
8. Doesthiscaseoriginale from amatterpending intheNorthernRegionoftheU.S.Attorney'sOfl
ice
priorto August8,2014 (M ag.JudgeShaniek M aynard)? Yes No z
Doesthiscaseoriginalefrom amatterpending in the CentralRegion ofthe U.S.Attolrey'sOft-ice
priorto October3,2019(M ag.JudgeJared Stratlss)? .A
' Yes No--'-'-e -e
b
CIIRISTO PHER B.BROW NE
ASSISTAN T UN ITED STA TES ATTO RN EY
*penalty Sheetts)attached FL BarNo.91337
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 8 of 9
UNITED STATES DISTRICT CO URT
SO UTHERN DISTRICT O F FLO RIDA
PENALTY SHEET
Defendant'sNam e:LEONEL RIVERO - - -
Count#:1
Title l8,United StatesCodeeSection l343
*M ax.Penalty: 'I'
wenty(20)years'imprisonment
*lkefersonly to possible term ofincarceration,doesnotinclude possible fines,restitution,
specialassessm ents,parole term s,orforfeitures thatm ay be applicable.
Case 1:21-cr-20160-UU Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 03/16/2021 Page 9 of 9
AO 455(Res.0l,'t)9)h'aiverofa11lndictment
UNITED STATES D ISTRICT C OURT
forthe
Southern DistrictofFlorida
United StatesofA m erica )
%/. ) CaseN o.
Leonel Rivero, )
)
Dqkndanl )
W A IV ER O F AN IND ICTM ENT
Iunderstand thatIhavebeen accusedofoneormoreoffensespunishable by imprisonmentformorethanone
year. Iwasadvised inopencourtofln).rightsand thenatureoftheproposed chargesagainstme.
Aflerreceiving thisadvice,lwaivemy rightto prosectltionby indictmentand consentto prosecution by
information.
MichaelMirer,Esq.
Pribtted?)tl
??l
t?(?ftfi!/i??;Ja?;l%altorllei'
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