Former Councilwoman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud, Funds Allegedly Used for Lavish Party
Former Charlotte Councilwoman Tiawana Brown pleads guilty to using COVID-19 relief money for a lavish birthday party and personal items. Learn about the case.
#CovidFraud, #Charlotte, #TiawanaBrown, #PublicCorruption, #GuiltyPlea
https://newsletter.tf/charlotte-councilwoman-guilty-covid-fraud-party/
A former city councilwoman in Charlotte, Tiawana Brown, has admitted to using money meant for COVID-19 relief for her own personal use. This included spending a large amount on a birthday party. She has pleaded guilty to charges related to this.
#CovidFraud, #Charlotte, #TiawanaBrown, #PublicCorruption, #GuiltyPlea
https://newsletter.tf/charlotte-councilwoman-guilty-covid-fraud-party/
‘Pay now or face the consequences’ – last chance to return wrongly‑claimed Covid cash
A new Covid Voluntary Repayment Scheme, launched by the UK Government on Friday 12 September, gives a “no questions asked” window until December 2025 for anyone to return pandemic‑era funds they were not entitled to, or no longer needed.
The scheme covers all Covid support programmes – including furlough, bounce‑back loans, business support grants and Eat Out to Help Out – and applies to individuals as well as companies.
Undercover checks and tougher powers ahead
Covid Counter‑Fraud Commissioner Tom Hayhoe said the offer is a final chance to “wipe the slate clean” before new investigatory powers come into force next year.
“Pay now, clear your conscience, or face the consequences,” he warned. “This money belongs in communities, the NHS, police and armed forces. Those who don’t take up this straightforward offer and have knowingly, wrongly claimed taxpayer‑funded help could face prosecution, disqualification, or prison. The digital trail is forever – the time to settle is now.”
From 2026, the government will have expanded powers to investigate and prosecute Covid fraud, shut down businesses, and ban directors. Thousands could face court action, with the most serious offenders jailed.
Public urged to report suspected fraud
Alongside the repayment scheme, a new Covid fraud reporting website has been launched so members of the public can flag suspected wrongdoing.
The Treasury says more than £10 billion was lost to fraud, flawed contracts and waste during the pandemic. Around £1.54 billion has already been recovered, but ministers want to claw back far more before the deadline.
‘Extraordinary circumstances’
Mr Hayhoe said many small businesses made honest mistakes in the chaos of the pandemic, but some knowingly took money they shouldn’t have.
“I’ve spoken to hundreds of small business owners who’ve told me they wanted help but the rules kept changing and advice was confusing. Some took bad decisions at the time that are eating away at them – it’s keeping them awake at night. This scheme gives them the chance to put it right, without lengthy investigations or public shame.”
How to repay or report
The scheme runs until 31 December 2025. After that, the “no questions asked” offer will be withdrawn and tougher sanctions will apply.
#bounceBackLoan #COVID #CovidCounterFraud #CovidCounterFraudCommissioner #COVIDEnforcementOfficers #covidFraud #COVIDGrants #CovidVoluntaryRepaymentScheme #EatOutToHelpOut #fraud #furlough #HMTreasury #money #UKGovernment
🗞️ Fraud, arson, broken promises, and ‘improper’ government loans | Local businessman Khalid Bhatti, who is under investigation for fraud, has yet to pay back half a million pounds in Covid loans | Angus Young
Read more ⤵️
#CovidFraud
https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/region/fraud-arson-broken-promises-and-improper-government-loans/
This is really great news.
POLITICS
More than 300 people charged in Covid fraud sweep targeting $830 million in stolen money, DOJ says
PUBLISHED WED, AUG 23 2023 2:25 PM EDT
UPDATED WED, AUG 23 2023 3:40 PM EDT
Spencer Kimball
@SPENCEKIMBALL
KEY POINTS
• The DOJ has filed criminal charges against 371 individuals in a nationwide sweep targeting $836 million in stolen Covid-19 relief money.
• More than 60 of the defendants had connections to violent crime and transnational criminal networks.
• In one case, 30 members of a street gang in Wisconsin allegedly used money from an unemployment fraud scheme to solicit murder for hire and purchase firearms and drugs, law enforcement said.
Federal law enforcement authorities charged hundreds of people in a nationwide sweep targeting more than $830 million in Covid-19 fraud, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/23/covid-hundreds-charged-with-fraud-totaling-more-than-830-million.html
Stealing in pandemic
For one million dollars, he pays
Eight hard years in jail
#covidfraud #pandemictheft #prisonsentence #haiku #poetry
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/seattle-man-gets-8-years-stealing-1m-pandemic-99555952
HMRC’s decision to close #Covid fraud taskforce puts £5bn of taxpayers’ money at risk...
...at a time when the government insists that it doesn’t have the money to give hard-pressed public sector workers pay rises.
Basit Mahmood @LeftFootForward @SydesJokes
#CovidFraud #GTTO
https://leftfootforward.org/2023/03/hmrcs-decision-to-close-covid-fraud-taskforce-puts-5bn-of-taxpayers-money-at-risk-mps-warn/
Billions of pounds won’t be recovered by the tax authority at a time when the government insists that it doesn’t have the money to give hard-pressed public sector workers pay rises.
Billions of pounds #embezzled, all of it in plain sight, like the white-collar criminals they are!
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