5 of the 17 Broward Sheriff’s Workplace staff who had been final week accused of fraudulently acquiring Paycheck Safety Program loans appeared in court docket on Thursday to be arraigned on federal prices.
Those that had been arraigned in court docket Thursday had been Deputy Alexandra Acosta, Marcus Powell, Deputy Allen Dorvil, Ancy Morancy, and Carolyn Wade.
In line with Local10, all of them entered not-guilty pleas and requested a trial by jury.
A sixth worker, Katrina Brown, had her arraignment reset to subsequent week so she might safe an lawyer.
The group of 17 staff, all of whom are “sworn BSO deputies,” are charged with taking part in varied schemes to defraud america Small Enterprise Administration by offering false data concerning their eligibility for monetary help. The staff collectively obtained round $500,000, which they diverted for their very own private use.
The fees had been introduced throughout a press convention final week with Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony and the U.S. Lawyer for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe.
Learn: Over a dozen BSO employees charged with fraud over PPP loans
Whereas the 17 defendants didn’t commit the offenses in the middle of their official duties, “this doesn’t in any approach diminish the seriousness of what the defendants are alleged to have completed right here,” Lapointe mentioned.
“Regulation enforcement officers stand ready of belief to the members of the general public who they serve,” he added.
For his half, the Broward Sheriff mentioned he was disillusioned within the officers.
“I hate to see that, understanding among the people and seeing the names on that record as being indicted, a few of them had been good officers,” Sheriff Tony mentioned. “However you’re solely pretty much as good because the final act and conduct that you just execute, and so should you’re gonna be taking part in prison actions, we don’t need you on this occupation.”
A two-year investigation
In line with an announcement from the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, Southern District of Florida, the investigation had been ongoing for 2 years.
Courtroom paperwork present that the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, in coordination with the FBI, BSO, and different companions launched an investigation to find out whether or not any BSO worker violated federal regulation in reference to acquiring or making an attempt to acquire any type of reduction licensed beneath the CARES Act, reminiscent of loans by means of the PPP and EIDL program.
The investigation started in November 2021, after the BSO Workplace of Inspector Basic turned conscious of PPP fraud as an rising pattern inside public service businesses.
Shortly thereafter, the BSO Public Corruption Unit obtained a tip from a BSO worker that a number of staff might have dedicated PPP fraud. After being notified that BSO personnel might have participated in fraudulent schemes to defraud the federal authorities, Sheriff Tony ordered an agency-wide investigation of all 5,600 staff.
The full list of names was launched on the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace’s web site.
The utmost sentence for a wire fraud conviction is 20 years in jail. The utmost sentence for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction, as charged, is 5 years in jail.
