Brothers charged for stealing COVID-19 relief funds
By SDCN Editor
An indictment was unsealed Friday charging two Florida men for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans and advances from the Small Business Administration through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
According to court documents, from March 2020 through December 2021, Carl Charles, 43, of Miramar, and his brother, Patrick Charles, 41, of Lake Worth, together with their accomplices, submitted applications to the SBA for nearly $5 million in EIDL loans, making false statements regarding the businesses’ revenues, creation dates, and a number of employees. As a result of the false and fraudulent applications, the SBA disbursed over $2.5 million in loan proceeds and advances to the defendants and others.
Carl Charles is charged with four counts of wire fraud and Patrick Charles is charged with three counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
