USANews版 - #加速主義 Scammers allegedly claimed to run churches, defrauded coronavirus relief funds out of millions |
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Y******9 发帖数: 1 | 1 Scammers allegedly claimed to run churches, defrauded coronavirus relief
funds out of millions
Six people allegedly defrauded government coronavirus relief programs of $3.
3 million last year by claiming to run churches that care for the needy.
Terrence Pounds, Charles Tiller, Terri Davis, Randolph Nunn, Samira Abdul-
Karim and Quwan Simmons were all charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to
commit wire fraud on Tuesday, according to the Department of Justice.
Pounds, Nunn, Davis, and Tiller are also facing money laundering charges.
The government alleged that Pounds acted as the ring leader in the scheme
and would have the other five send him their personal information, which he
would use to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck
Protection Program loans. Once the loans went through, the applicant would
then allegedly send Pounds a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds.
Under one loan application, Pounds allegedly said he operated "Truth
Ministries Global Inc," which he claimed was a "Faith Based Organization" or
"Church."
"We feed the less fortunate and underprivileged, we visit the prisons, we
have 24 hours per day and 7 days per week phone line open for prayers and
counseling," Pounds allegedly wrote in the loan application, according to an
indictment. "We have church services twice per week."
Pounds then allegedly used the $147,900 he received to purchase four
vehicles, including a 2020 BMW X4. |
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