Federal prosecutors have indicted 47 people who participated in a massive fraud scheme to steal $250 million of Covid relief money, CNN and other news sources reported on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 (see story here).
The defendants are charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, bribery, and kickback for allegedly looting a USDA program to feed low-income children by operating through a Minnesota non-profit agency (photo below) and shell companies.
The non-profit’s director (photo above) is among those indicted.
The thieves used fictitious names to make it appear on remittances that children were being fed, authorities said (see details of the scheme here and here).
The money actually went for real estate, luxury cars, jewelry, and paying for international travel; the government has recovered about $50 million so far.
