FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS12) — A 24-year-old man pled guilty on Monday to bank fraud and identity theft in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in COVID-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said from May 2020 and continuing through December 2022, Conrad Brandon Bernard executed a plan to defraud the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and unemployment insurance programs. According to court records, he applied for 14 EIDLs using other’s personal information without their consent. Once the applications were approved by the U.S. Small Business Association, the funds were directed to bank accounts Bernard controlled, which were also opened using stolen identities.
The DOJ said Bernard also fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits from several states, including West Virginia and Arizona, by using other’s personal information without their knowledge. In total, Bernard received $1,083,340 through these fraudulent activities…