New Jersey man sentenced for COVID-19 fraud
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York dated Tuesday, February 27, 2024, announcing that James Okolo, 61, of West Orange, New Jersey, convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to 12 months in prison. According to the release, Okolo and others sought over $700,000 in CARES Act money from the Small Business Administration through Economic Injury Disaster loan applications under the names of various businesses. It states that his role was to find a bank account into which the loan proceeds were to be deposited. The release states that the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case and it was announced by U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Full text
Press Release New Jersey man sentenced for COVID-19 fraud Tuesday, February 27, 2024 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Okolo, 61, of West Orange, New Jersey, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Michael DiGiacomo, who handled the case, stated that Okolo and others devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration out of over $700,000 in CARES Act money designated for businesses suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme involved the submission of fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster loan applications under the names of various businesses. Okolo’s role in the scheme was to find a bank account where the fraudulent loan proceeds were to be deposited. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso. # # # # Contact Barbara Burns 716-843-5817 Updated February 27, 2024 Topic Coronavirus Component USAO - New York, Western Related Content Press Release Rochester man going to prison for COVID fraud U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kenyatta Phipps, 47, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison and pay... October 12, 2023 Press Release North Chili man convicted of 37 counts of COVID relief fraud going to prison U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Rech, 52, of North Chili, NY, who was convicted at trial of 37 counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, and money... October 5, 2023 Press Release Two Brothers Plead Guilty To COVID Relief Fraud U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that two brothers, Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, NY, and Sutukh El a/k/a Curtis Jordan a/k/a Hugo Hurt a/k/a Hugo Hermes Hurtington, 41... September 8, 2023
File and source
- File
- usao-wdny-pr-new-jersey-man-sentenced-covid-19-fraud.html
- Size
- 90,859 bytes
- SHA-256
- 1b47f58276a27b1792217487fb687ada934b72c7e44ffbfee55e7404f6fb5f22
- Original
- www.justice.gov