Florida man sentenced to 7 years for $2.6 million COVID-19 scam

FORT MYERS, Florida (AP) — A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison for stealing more than $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

Court documents show Daniel Joseph Tyson, 35, of Naples, was sentenced on Tuesday by a Fort Myers federal court. Last August, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud, illegal money transactions and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

“Daniel Joseph Tyson has seriously misused three federal programs that used taxpayer money to help small businesses survive the pandemic,” Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Brian Miller said in a statement. “SIGPR is pleased to be instrumental in bringing Mr. Tyson to justice, along with other law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Between March 2020 and April 2021, Tisone filed false and fraudulent applications with the Small Business Administration and banks for several different types of loans, according to documents. Prosecutors said the statements contained false information about Tison’s criminal history, average monthly salary, number of employees, and gross income. Tisone also presented false payment and tax documents, as well as a fake commercial lease, according to investigators.

Tison received one Main Street Loan Program loan, four economic injury loans, and five Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling more than $2.6 million, authorities said. With this money, he allegedly bought two houses in Naples, shares and investment securities, a 2019 Tiara 34LS boat, a 4.02 carat engagement ring and ammunition. As part of his plea agreement, Tison must return the money and forfeit his houses, boat, and ring.

The Paycheck Protection Program includes billions of dollars in forgivable small business loans for Americans struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money should be used to pay employees, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. This is part of a package of measures to combat the coronavirus, which became federal law in 2020.

The Economic Injury Loan Program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that are experiencing a temporary loss of income. The Main Street Loan Program was designed to support small and medium-sized businesses and their employees in the United States during the pandemic.

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