The US Department of Justice is busy prosecuting fraudsters who falsely applied for – and received – financial aid during the corona crisis. To date, the equivalent of 1.3 billion euros in stolen aid has been recovered. More than 3,000 people have been prosecuted across the country so far.
Attorney General Merrick Garland created a special task force in May 2021 to investigate state aid fraud. Up to $200 billion is said to have been paid out to people who applied for financial support for a company under false pretenses.
Billions of fraud was also allegedly committed with disability and sickness benefits, according to the US Department of Labor. Due to the need to pay out quickly during the pandemic, applications were assessed less rigorously.
“The Covid-19 health crisis may be over, but the Justice Department’s work to track down and prosecute those who stole pandemic aid is far from over,” said Garland.
The most recent action by the ministry resulted in 371 suspects, who allegedly stole 769 million euros under false pretenses, according to a statement from the ministry. 119 of them pleaded guilty or were convicted.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.