Sterling businessman indicted for Covid-19 relief fund fraud
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska dated Thursday, April 18, 2024, announcing that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Kent Tompkins, 55, a Sterling businessman, with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343. According to court documents cited in the release, he made false statements about his criminal history on Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications for his business, J & B Construction, after being indicted in South Dakota in 2018 on felony grand theft charges, of which he was convicted in August 2020. It states that he applied for one loan in May 2020 and another in November 2021, allegedly obtaining over $95,000 through the first and attempting to obtain $276,500 through the second.
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Press Release Sterling businessman indicted for Covid-19 relief fund fraud Thursday, April 18, 2024 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska This case is part of the Alaska Covid-19 Fraud Task Force. ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Sterling businessman with wire fraud involving Covid-19 relief funds. According to court documents, Kent Tompkins, 55, made false statements about his criminal history on Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for his business, J & B Construction. In 2018, the defendant was indicted on multiple felony grand theft charges in South Dakota and was convicted in August 2020. During the alleged scheme, Tompkins applied for two EIDL loans—one in May 2020 and one in November 2021. On both applications, which were submitted after he had been indicted and arraigned in South Dakota, Tompkins falsely stated that he had not been presently or recently subject to an indictment or arraignment for formal criminal charges. On the second application, Tompkins also provided false information about his prior conviction and probation. Tompkins allegedly obtained over $95,000 in relief funds through the first loan application and attempted to obtain $276,500 through the second loan application. Tompkins is charged with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343. The defendant made his initial court appearance on April 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General Western Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The Small Business Association Office of Inspector General and FBI Anchorage Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### Contact Reagan Zimmerman Public Affairs Officer reagan.zimmerman@usdoj.gov Updated April 18, 2024 Topic Disaster Fraud Component USAO - Alaska Press Release Number: 24-27
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