Maryland Man Charged For Stealing Over $3.5M In PPP Funds

3 years ago 385

GREENBELT, Md. (WJZ) — A national expansive assemblage has returned an indictment charging a 45-yeard-old Bowie antheral with national ligament fraud and wealth laundering charges.

The nine-count indictment charges Rudolph Brooks with 3 counts of ligament fraud relating to Brooks’ transmission of indebtedness applications submitted done the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) successful the names of 3 entities controlled by Brooks.

The indictment shows that Brooks submitted PPP indebtedness applications successful the sanction of Cars Direct, Madaro, and Kingdom Tabernacle containing mendacious statements astir the fig of employees and payroll expenses.

He besides submitted mendacious taxation forms, not connected record with the IRS.

In total, Brooks obtained astatine slightest $3,560,855 successful PPP indebtedness proceeds. He utilized the PPP indebtedness proceeds for his idiosyncratic payment and connected payments and purchases not permissible nether the Paycheck Protection Program. This includes payments for a residence, the acquisition of a luxury vehicle, purchases astatine restaurants, retail stores, market stores, currency withdrawals and transfers to different slope accounts controlled by Brooks.

The indictment besides charges Brooks with 3 counts of wealth laundering for ligament transfers from the transgression proceeds of the PPP loans. These were utilized for the acquisition of a 2018 Tesla Model 3, a existent spot successful Baltimore, Maryland, and a existent spot successful Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

In total, the United States has recovered much than $1.6 cardinal successful proceeds of the fraudulent PPP loans arsenic good arsenic a 2018 Tesla Model 3 purchased with proceeds of the Cars Direct PPP loan. If convicted, the United States volition question forfeiture of the seized spot arsenic good arsenic the Upper Marlboro, Maryland spot purchased with fraud proceeds.

Brooks faces a maximum condemnation of 20 years successful national situation for ligament fraud and wealth laundering followed by 3 years of supervised merchandise if convicted. Actual sentences for national crimes are typically little than the maximum penalties. A national territory tribunal justice volition find immoderate condemnation aft taking into relationship the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and different statutory factors.

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An indictment is not a uncovering of guilt. An idiosyncratic charged by indictment is presumed guiltless unless and until proven blameworthy astatine immoderate aboriginal transgression proceedings.