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Commentary: Feds – Five IRS Employees Stole $418,000 in Covid Funds

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Commentary by Adam Andrzejewski originally published by RealClearPolicy.com and RealClearWire.com

Five current and former Internal Revenue Service employees from Tennessee and Mississippi are charged with stealing $418,125 from federal programs for Covid-19 relief after fraudulently applying for $1.1 million.

The five people, four of whom were still employed by the IRS, applied for federal funds through the Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, according to the Department of Justice.

They allegedly submitted bogus loan applications, gaming the system to lavish themselves with luxury goods, spa services, cars, clothes, jewelry, and travel, prosecutors allege. One claimed to run a nonexistent clothing business, and all allegedly filed fraudulent applications.

“These individuals — acting out of pure greed — abused their positions by taking government funds meant for citizens and businesses who desperately needed it,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Kevin G. Ritz.

The five individuals — three from Memphis, one from Cordova, Tennessee and one from Olive Branch, Mississippi — were each charged with wire fraud, and one was charged with money laundering, the DOJ said.

The funds were spent on a Mercedes-Benz, Gucci and other luxury clothing, jewelry, a trip to Las Vegas, manicures, and massages. Some money was deposited into a personal investment account.

Each person collected between $27,550 and $171,400, the DOJ said.

The five people charged were prosecuted by the fraud section of the DOJ Criminal Division and are part of the more than 150 defendants that stole more than $75 million from fraudulently obtained PPP funds since the inception of the CARES Act, the DOJ said.

“It is especially egregious when individuals that hold positions of public trust engage in criminal activity,” Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the SBA, Office of Inspector General, said in a statement. “OIG is a ready partner in safeguarding the integrity of SBA’s programs and in bringing wrongdoers to justice.”
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By Adam Andrzejewski – The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com

This article was originally published by RealClearPolicy.com and made available via RealClearWire.com

Deneen Borelli

Deneen Borelli is the author of Blacklash: How Obama and the Left are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation. Deneen is a contributor with Newsmax Broadcasting. She is a former Fox News contributor and has appeared regularly on “Hannity,” “Fox & Friends,” “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” and “America’s Newsroom.” She has also appeared on Fox Business Network programs “Making Money with Charles Payne,” “The Evening Edit with Liz MacDonald,” and “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.” Previously, Deneen appeared on MSNBC, CNN, the BBC and C-SPAN. In addition to television, Deneen co-hosted radio programs on the SiriusXM Patriot channel with her husband Tom. Recently, Deneen co-hosted the Reigniting Liberty podcast with Tom. Deneen is a frequent speaker at political events, including the FreedomWorks 9.12.2009 March on D.C. which drew a crowd estimated at over 800,000 people. Deneen is also an Ambassador with CloutHub.com, a social media platform that promotes free speech, and with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) which advances policies that put Americans first. Deneen testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources in May 2011 and before the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee in December 2011. Previously, Deneen was a BlazeTV.com host, Outreach Director with FreedomWorks.org overseeing its Empower.org outreach program, a Project 21 Senior Fellow, and Manager of Media Relations with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Prior to joining CORE, Deneen worked at Philip Morris USA for 20 years. During her corporate career at Philip Morris she worked in various positions, her last as Project Management Coordinator in the Information Management department where she was responsible for the department’s mandated quality processes, communications, sales information and database management. Deneen began her Philip Morris career as a secretary and advanced to positions of increasing responsibilities. Deneen worked full-time and attended classes at night for 11 years to earn her B.A. in Managerial Marketing from Pace University, New York City. Deneen served on the Board of Trustees with The Opportunity Charter School in Harlem, New York. She appeared in educational videos for children, worked as a runway fashion model, and auditioned for television commercials. Her interests include ancient history, pistol target shooting, photography, and volunteering at her church. Deneen currently resides in Connecticut with her husband Tom.

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