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Super Bowl Champ Wendell Smallwood Jr. Sentenced For COVID-19, Tax Fraud Super Bowl Champ Wendell Smallwood Jr. Sentenced For COVID-19, Tax Fraud
Super Bowl Champ Wendell Smallwood Jr. Sentenced For Covid-19, Tax Fraud Wendell Smallwood Jr., a former Philadelphia Eagles running back and Super Bowl champion, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the IRS in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, Sept. 18, according to federal court documents obtained by Daily Voice. U.S. District Senior Judge Richard G. Andrews also ordered Smallwood, 31, to repay the government $645,000. The punishment comes after Smallwood pleaded guilty in December 2024 to orchestrating schemes that defrauded COVID-19 relief programs and the IRS. Smallwood earned about…

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by Jillian Pikora
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NY Man Gets 4 Years For $1.7M COVID Loan Fraud, Lavish Spending Spree NY Man Gets 4 Years For $1.7M COVID Loan Fraud, Lavish Spending Spree
NY Man Gets 4 Years For $1.7M COVID Loan Fraud, Lavish Spending Spree A Long Island man will spend the next four years in federal prison for stealing more than $1.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds and using the money to fund a luxury lifestyle. Niall Alli, 52, of Inwood, was sentenced Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Central Islip federal court. He must also repay the full $1.7 million to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and forfeit about $135,000 in seized assets, including cryptocurrency. Alli pleaded guilty in December 2023. Between April 2020 and November 2021, he fraudulently obtained four Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of two compani…

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by Michael Mashburn
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$5.6M Fraud Scheme With 1K+ Stolen IDs; Including New York Lands PA Man Federal Charges $5.6M Fraud Scheme With 1K+ Stolen IDs; Including New York Lands PA Man Federal Charges
$5.6M Fraud Scheme With 1K+ Stolen IDs; Including New York Lands PA Man Federal Charges A Pennsylvania man is accused of stealing over $5.6 million in pandemic aid using more than 1,000 stolen or fake identities, federal prosecutors announced on Monday, June 16. Adepoju Babatunde Salako, 32, has been indicted in Colorado on multiple federal charges after allegedly orchestrating a nationwide COVID-19 benefits scam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Salako faces six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of aggravated identity theft, according to t…

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by Jillian Pikora
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$44M COVID Tax Scheme:Orange County Man Among 7 NYers Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever $44M COVID Tax Scheme:Orange County Man Among 7 NYers Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever
$44M COVID Tax Scheme:Orange County Man Among 7 NYers Nabbed In Largest US Case Ever Seven New Yorkers have been charged in a sweeping tax fraud scheme, accused of exploiting pandemic relief programs to steal over $44 million, federal prosecutors announced. The indictment by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, unsealed Wednesday, Jan. 22, alleges that the defendants filed over 8,000 fraudulent tax returns, seeking more than $600 million in COVID-19 relief funds through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and related programs. Investigators determined the group successfully secured $44 million from the federal government. Defendants Long Island …

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19 Fraud: Nurse Midwives From Capital Region Doled Out Phony Vaccination Cards, Feds Say COVID-19 Fraud: Nurse Midwives From Capital Region Doled Out Phony Vaccination Cards, Feds Say
Covid-19 Fraud: Nurse Midwives From Capital Region Doled Out Phony Vaccination Cards, Feds Say A pair of nurse midwives from New York is facing federal charges following a nationwide investigation into COVID-19 related fraud. Kelly McDermott, of Albany, and Kathleen Breault, of Cambridge in Washington County, were among five individuals to be charged for their alleged roles in separate schemes that fraudulently distributed more than 2,600 fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. The investigation also uncovered more than $1.7 million in fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan …

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by Michael Mashburn
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COVID-19: NY Woman Sentenced For $1.69M Relief Fraud COVID-19: NY Woman Sentenced For $1.69M Relief Fraud
Covid-19: NY Woman Sentenced For $1.69M Relief Fraud A New York woman will spend time in federal prison after admitting that she took advantage of loan programs meant to help businesses struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Debra Hackstadt, age 68, of Albany, was sentenced to 16 months behind bars Tuesday, Nov. 8, in federal court in Albany after pleading guilty to wire fraud in May 2022. Earlier Report: COVID-19: Albany Woman Pleads Guilty To Pandemic Relief Fraud According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District, Hackstadt admitted to fraudulently obtaining 32 government-backed loans worth more than $1.6 million betwee…

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by Michael Mashburn
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COVID-19: NY Doctor Sentenced For Using $3M In Fraudulently Obtained Loans On Luxury Items COVID-19: NY Doctor Sentenced For Using $3M In Fraudulently Obtained Loans On Luxury Items
Covid-19: NY Doctor Sentenced For Using $3M In Fraudulently Obtained Loans On Luxury Items A New York doctor will spend time behind bars after being sentenced for spending millions of dollars obtained through fraudulently obtained small business loans during the pandemic in an effort to live a luxury lifestyle. Long Island resident Konstantinos Zarkadas, who had a Nassau County practice in Glen Cove, was sentenced in federal court to 51 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in COVID-19 emergency relief funds. In addition to his prison term, Zarkadas was also ordered to pay approximately $3.5 million in restitution after pleading guilty in November 2021 t…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
COVID-19: Ex-NY Jet Sentenced For Bogus $1.2M Relief Loan COVID-19: Ex-NY Jet Sentenced For Bogus $1.2M Relief Loan
Covid-19: Ex-NY Jet Sentenced For Bogus $1.2M Relief Loan Former NY Jet Josh Bellamy was sentenced to prison time for fraudulently claiming more than $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds that he spent on luxury items and a Hard Rock Hotel stay, federal prosecutors said. The 32-year-old Florida resident was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison last Friday, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, court papers show. The former NFL athlete also must pay restitution. Bellamy obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $1.2 million for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, under bogus documents and false inf…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
COVID-19: NY Doctor Admits To Using $3M In Fraudulently Obtained Loans To Purchase Luxury Items COVID-19: NY Doctor Admits To Using $3M In Fraudulently Obtained Loans To Purchase Luxury Items
Covid-19: NY Doctor Admits To Using $3M In Fraudulently Obtained Loans To Purchase Luxury Items A New York doctor has admitted to using more than $3 million in fraudulently obtained small business loans to purchase a yacht and other luxury items, federal authorities announced. Long Island resident Konstantino Zarkadas, a Nassau County-based medical doctor in Glen Cove, pleaded guilty to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud in connection with his receipt of millions of dollars in small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP) on Friday, Nov. 12 in Central Islip. When sentenced, Zarkadas faces up to 30 years in pri…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Hudson Valley Man Admits To Stealing $4M In Relief Funds COVID-19: Hudson Valley Man Admits To Stealing $4M In Relief Funds
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Man Admits To Stealing $4M In Relief Funds A Hudson Valley man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud and admitted to obtaining more than $4 million meant for businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ulster County resident Jean Lavanture, age 48, of Saugerties, also known as JR, and "Rudy" Lavanture, is the third person to plead guilty in this case, according to the US Attorney's Office. In pleading guilty, Lavanture admitted to conspiring with another person to obtain $4,309,581 in Paycheck Protection Program loans between June and August 2020, by submitting fraudulent loan applications in the nam…

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by Kathy Reakes
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COVID-19: Westchester Doctor Accused Of Illegally Receiving Government-Guaranteed Loans COVID-19: Westchester Doctor Accused Of Illegally Receiving Government-Guaranteed Loans
Covid-19: Westchester Doctor Accused Of Illegally Receiving Government-Guaranteed Loans An eye doctor from Westchester who had practices throughout the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County who was previously charged with healthcare fraud is facing new charges for allegedly attempting to exploit the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Ameet Goyal, 57, of Rye, who operates The Eye Associates Group, with practices in Rye, Mount Kisco, Wappingers Falls, and Greenwich, was arrested and charged by federal officials for allegedly fraudulently billing patients last year. Earlier story - Area Doctor Billed Patients $8M For Surgeries He Didn't Do, Feds Say According to U.S. Attorne…

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by Zak Failla