XPost: seattle.politics, alt.politics.democrats, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: talk.politics.guns, alt.society.liberalism

Not good enough.

SEATTLE (KOMO) — The leader of a fraud ring that stole more than $6.8
million in pandemic benefits from nearly every major COVID-19 pandemic assistance program was sentenced to prison.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 29-year-old Paradise
Williams personally received more than $2 million in fraudulent proceeds
and spent the money on luxury cars, lavish trips, cosmetic surgery,
jewelry and designer goods. The DOJ said Williams was sentenced to five
years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering.

https://komonews.com/resources/media2/original/full/1600/center/80/f7142d9 0-a60f-4f9b-b618-67ec438f2126-KOMOBACKGROUNDUSETHIS.jpg

“Paradise Williams was relentless in her efforts to steal pandemic
benefits throughout the entire duration of our national emergency, and it
is unconscionable that she funded a life of luxury by stealing millions in taxpayer funds that should have prevented King County residents from being evicted in the winter,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

Records in the case say Williams personally submitted over 125 fraudulent applications from June 2020 to February 2022 for the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds administered by King County, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury
Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits.

Officials said Williams did not act alone though. She had over 50
associates, including her five codefendants, to obtain more than $3.3
million by posing as fake tenants, landlords, and small business owners in
need of assistance, according to the DOJ. Falsified bank statements,
tenant ledgers, and landlord attestations were created while submitting applications.

“These were serious and terrible crimes. [Williams and her co-defendants]
stole from programs designed to help members of their community during the pandemic,” U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said at the sentencing
hearing.

The DOJ said Williams and her associates methodically laundered the funds through cash withdrawals, wire transfers, and expensive luxury purchases. Williams also received more than $1.2 million in kickback payments from
her associates for facilitating the fraudulent submissions, according to
the DOJ.

Williams’ codefendants D’Arius Jackson, Tia Robinson, Rayvon Peterson and
David Martinez previously entered guilty pleas for their participation in
the scheme. Jackson was sentenced to three years in prison and Robinson to
18 months in prison. Martinez and Peterson are scheduled for sentencing
later in March.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Williams will pay $2,791,241 in restitution to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and $512,730 to the
U.S. Small Business Administration. Williams must also forfeit $2,023,104,
the proceeds she obtained through the scheme.

https://komonews.com/news/local/68-million-pandemic-fraud-scheme-leader- sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-covid-19-benefits-jail-crime-criminal- emergency-funds-eviction-cash-money#

LibLeft
1 day ago

Okay great, one person has been charged with fraud related to the
pandemic. So that leaves, what, about 15,000 more?

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