Dayton man charged with fraud received $ 120,000 in COVID relief, DOJ says
April 7 – A Dayton man is one of four people in the area who have been accused at the federal level of defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief funding programs.
In separate cases, all four are said to have lied about owning businesses and hiring others. Some of the defendants have filed multiple claims and some have spent the funds on lavish personal items and vacation travel, according to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal Patel for the Southern District of Ohio.
Jon Alan Bader, 50, of Dayton, received over $ 120,000 after allegedly lying about claims. He registered the company JB Auto Wholesale LLC with the State of Ohio through LegalZoom in June 2020 after the loan eligibility deadline. An affidavit says Bader spent the aid money on various food deliveries via Door Dash, transportation from Uber, and purchases that appear to be for trips to Indiana, Kentucky and Florida. He is also said to have made purchases at retail stores such as Puma, Lacoste and Saks, and paid for trips to Sarasota, Florida. Bank statements show Bader was spending between $ 55,000 and $ 67,000 in the summer of 2020, according to the criminal complaint.
Bader is charged with bank fraud, major disaster or emergency benefit fraud, electronic fraud, and misrepresentation and misrepresentation in connection with credit or loan applications.
Patel previously told the Dayton Daily News that prosecuting cases in which suspects defrauded taxpayer-funded coronavirus relief programs for personal gain would be a top priority.
The other three accused are:
Melissa McGhee, 37, of Cincinnati, was arrested Monday night by Sycamore Twp. police. McGhee, also known as Melissa Batton, is accused of lying about a Federal Housing Authority loan for a new home. Through this investigation, officers discovered that McGhee had allegedly applied for seven pandemic relief loans and received three.
Court documents reveal that McGhee used the trade names M&MM Realty Group and M&M Realty Group to submit the fraudulent claims. She received $ 186,000 in relief funds, which she used in part to buy real estate, according to the Justice Department.
McGhee is charged with bank fraud, major disaster or emergency benefit fraud, wire fraud, and misrepresentation and misrepresentation in connection with credit or loan applications.
Kelli Prather, 48, of Cincinnati, appeared Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Cincinnati. According to court documents, Prather requested six loans from the Paycheck Protection Program as part of the CARES Act pandemic relief.
She claimed to own six businesses – Enhanced Healthcare Solutions, Improved Life Skills, Prather Property Management, Reliable Ambulet Services, Rich Glo Management Services and Tots R Us. It is alleged that a bank discovered errors in Prather’s loan applications and also indicated that there were six different pending applications. Prather claimed more than $ 600,000 in compensation for the fraud and fraudulently received approximately $ 19,800, according to the criminal complaint.
Former Cincinnati mayoral candidate Prather charged with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, misrepresentation, misrepresentation in connection with credit or loan applications and misrepresenting a security number social.
Toni Wright, 34, of Cincinnati, reportedly received $ 349,000 in fraudulent PPP relief loans. Court documents say she made false claims as the owner of alleged hair and manicure businesses Poshedbar, Beautiful Beginnings Doula Service and Jerry’s Electronics. Wright allegedly used the same employer identification number for more than one of the alleged businesses and residential addresses listed as business locations. She submitted numerous requests despite her initial denial, Wright used the PPP funds for personal purchases, such as food through Door Dash, at retail stores such as Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Kay Jewelers and activities of vacations such as King’s Island, Luxury Rentals Miami and American. Airlines companies. She also spent more than $ 10,000 in relief funds at Sono Bello, a facility that promotes laser liposuction and body contouring, according to the criminal complaint.
Wright is charged with bank fraud, major disaster or emergency benefit fraud, electronic fraud, misrepresentation, misrepresentation in connection with credit or loan applications and misrepresentation of ‘a social security number.