SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane resident will spend a year in prison for defrauding the government of over $360,000 from COVID-19 relief funds.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Washington announced that 41-year-old Marisa Beck, of Spokane, was sentenced for stealing money from the Payment Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program designed to go to small businesses and employees who were at risk of losing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities (CARES) Act, the PPP and EIDL were meant to provide loans and low-cost funding to protect small businesses and their employees.
According to court documents, Beck admitted to using businesses that were not active, and falsified payroll and other documents necessary to obtain the funds from these programs.
“Many small businesses struggled during the COVID-19 shutdowns and were eligible for pandemic relief funds to keep their doors open and to ensure that their employees could keep their jobs. Fraudulent schemes diverted critical money set aside to help those businesses and instead were used to enrich individuals such as Ms. Beck,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I’m grateful for the investigators and prosecutors of our COVID Fraud Strike Force. Their teamwork and focus on uncovering fraud strengthens our community and protects small and local businesses.”
The Eastern Washington COVID Fraud Strike Force investigated and brought the case against Beck.
“Today’s sentencing underscores the VA Office of Inspector General’s commitment to rooting out fraudsters and safeguarding taxpayer funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners as part of the COVID-19 Strike Force to investigate fraud against relief programs intended to support bona fide recipients.”
After 12 months in prison, Beck will spend an additional three years under supervision and will be required to pay over $402,000 in restitution.
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