Local man sentenced to year in federal prison for COVID-19 relief fraud
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio dated Wednesday, July 16, 2025, announcing that Herman Brunis, 62, of Cincinnati, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud and ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution. According to the release, in June and August 2020 he applied for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans for two business entities, G Max Design and Construction and G Max LLC, with false information about the businesses, their payroll and their financials. It states that a co-conspirator in Texas prepared the applications, that he received $299,800 which he spent on personal items, and that Gina Brunis was also charged federally. It was announced by Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris.
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Full text
Press Release Local man sentenced to year in federal prison for COVID-19 relief fraud Wednesday, July 16, 2025 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio CINCINNATI – Herman Brunis, 62, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud. Brunis was also ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution. According to court documents, in June and August 2020, Brunis submitted false applications for COVID-19 relief funds. Brunis applied for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for two business entities, G Max Design and Construction and G Max LLC. Both entities were held in the name of his wife at the time, Gina Brunis. Brunis used a co-conspirator in Texas to prepare the applications with a design towards maximizing the chances of approval. His applications contained false information about the businesses, their payroll and their financials. In total, Brunis received $299,800 in funds that he then spent on personal items. Gina Brunis was also charged federally in the Southern District of Ohio. The application preparer in Texas has been identified and law enforcement in Texas is handling the criminal matters related to the co-conspirator’s larger fraud scheme. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the sentence imposed on July 15 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case. # # # Updated July 17, 2025 Topics Coronavirus Financial Fraud Component USAO - Ohio, Southern Related Content Press Release Central Ohio woman sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for $2.8 million pandemic relief fraud scheme COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Westerville woman who claimed affiliation with Dayton-area pizza restaurants to obtain nearly $1.9 million in COVD-19 relief funds was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to... June 17, 2025 Press Release Husband & wife plead guilty to wire fraud related to pandemic relief funds CINCINNATI – A West Chester couple pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to committing wire fraud to obtain pandemic relief funds. The husband and wife were owners or associates... June 16, 2025 Press Release Social media finance influencer pleads guilty to orchestrating $20 million Ponzi scheme COLUMBUS, Ohio – A social media finance influencer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to a real estate Ponzi scheme. June 13, 2025
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