A Northern California man was sentenced Tuesday to two years and 11 months in prison for seeking more than $13.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds and successfully obtaining nearly $2 million, federal prosecutors said.
Jason Toland, 44, pleaded guilty in May to making false claims against the United States , the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said in a news release. The Wheatland man faced another count of making false claims against the United States, but it was dismissed under a plea deal, according to court documents.
Toland filed fraudulent tax returns that falsely claimed an employee retention and COVID sick and family leave credits. Through these credits, Toland sought more than $11 million in tax refunds for shell companies that had no employees or actual business activity, prosecutors said in a news release…