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<\/p>\nThanks to Jeff LPH for the tip!<\/p>\n
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CW2 Dara Buck (aka Butler) admitted to stealing $3.5 million from the government Paycheck Protection Program by submitting over 150 loan applications in her own and others’ names. If you recall, during Covid this program was set up to help businesses cover employee’s paychecks threatened by all the lockdowns and reduced demand. Critics at the time complained that there were too few safeguards built into the program (“a blank check for con artists” was one) but we spent the $2.2 trillion anyway.<\/p>\n
Buck also admitted to submitting more than 150 fake Paycheck Protection Program applications under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, \u201cresulting in more than $3.5 million in fraudulent disbursements,\u201d prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Buck is accused of directly receiving PPP funds after submitting more than 100 fake applications to the Small Business Administration, according to the news release. Additionally, prosecutors said she would get paid by co-conspirators for submitting fake applications on their behalf. These loans were submitted for \u201cbusinesses that she purportedly owned\u201d and she obtained roughly $20,833 for each after lying about their gross income and monthly payroll, according to court documents. Co-conspirators would pay Buck $500 to $1,000 in cash or via CashApp or Zelle for each fake PPP loan application she submitted for them, prosecutors said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But wait – there’s more! (tip o’ the Hatfield hat to Ron Popeil.)<\/p>\n
As part of her fraud scheme, the soldier and co-conspirators claimed to be permanently disabled veterans on more than a dozen fake disability applications sent to the U.S. Department of Education \u2014 allowing them to steal over $1 million in federal student loans, according to court documents. The falsified VA letters were \u201cused to fraudulently discharge federal loans at the taxpayers\u2019 expense for someone who wasn\u2019t even a veteran,\u201d Special Agent in Charge David Spilker said in a statement. She is accused of charging $350 to $500 for each TPD loan submitted for others, prosecutors said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n