17 BSO employees charged in wide-ranging PPP loan fraud investigation

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony joined federal cops Thursday for a news convention pronouncing the arrests of greater than a dozen Broward Sheriff’s Office employees suspected of fraudulently making use of for and receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans.

The news convention started round 2 p.m.

Sources instructed Local 10 News that as many as 40 employees are or had been beneath investigation for PPP loan fraud.

Watch complete news convention:

The loans had been established all through the pandemic to lend a hand quite a lot of companies and the self-employed proceed to pay their staff as COVID restrictions restricted how a lot of the economic system may perform.

Tony stated the PPP investigation was once wide-ranging: All 5,500 BSO employees, together with Tony himself, had been checked out. The company known about 100 employees who took PPP loans and narrowed down the checklist additional to these whose programs weren’t reputable.

The following 17 employees, who paintings as both sworn regulation enforcement deputies or jailers, are slated to stand federal fees:

(*17*)

All are being charged one by one with PPP twine fraud, aside from for Dunkley, who’s being charged with conspiracy to devote twine fraud.

The 17 charged jointly took just below $500,000 from the government, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe stated.

Some coated their faces as they left federal court docket in Fort Lauderdale Thursday.

Lapointe stated there was once no “conspiratorial component” a number of the 17 charged.

“We have not been able to find that coordination,” he stated.

Tony, who referred to as the allegations “very disappointing,” stated the entire charged employees are in the method of being fired.

“We still have to follow proper protocols and since these are protected members with union rights and other different statutory obligations from the investigation practices that we have to follow, but I’m not going to sugarcoat or dance around this — at the end of the day, they will be gone,” Tony stated.

The sheriff added, “If they’re being criminally charged, there’s no place for this in this organization and their due process components will be executed and we will go through that process, but this one here is a no-brainer. How can we have anyone wearing a badge that is stealing from the American people?”

Tony stated a few of the ones charged had been “good officers.”

“But you are only as good as the last act and conduct that you execute,” he famous.

Lapointe stated the investigation stays ongoing. Officials instructed Local 10 News that extra indictments may come.

Brian Silber, an lawyer representing one of the crucial BSO employees, stated he couldn’t remark at the nature of the case.

“Bonds were set, they are being released,” Silber stated. “Nobody, as far as I know, is being detained and we will take it from there. We will be back in court.”

The head of the union representing BSO regulation enforcement deputies issued a commentary to Local 10 News concerning the fees:

“The International Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A.) Local 6020 is aware of the investigation surrounding multiple employees. Currently, we are not privy to all of the investigative facts. Regardless, employees and all citizens are entitled to and shall receive due process through the court system. The Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) is a large agency and contains approximately 5,500 employees. Many of these approximately 5,500 employees risk their lives daily and some unfortunately pay the ultimate sacrifice with the loss of their own lives in their effort protecting the community. The men and women all around BSO work tirelessly to keep the citizens of Broward County safe and are proud to come to work daily to protect and serve.”

Matt Cowart, president of IUPA Local 6020