ICE HSI Helps Massive COVID-Era Loan Fraud Crackdown: 160+ Defendants, $245 Million
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Oct. 26 that its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Indiana office, together with 44 U.S. attorney's offices and 20 federal and state investigative agencies, recently concluded a two-month enforcement surge targeting fraud in the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, resulting in 12 indictments and five guilty pleas.
From June 12 to Sept. 1, federal prosecutors nationwide brought enforcement actions involving more than 160 criminal defendants, including 80 newly charged defendants, and approximately $245 million in intended losses, ICE said. The effort was led by the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division and the SBA's Office of Inspector General. Those charged are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
