FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — Federal prosecutors in northern Indiana say 17 people have been charged or pleaded guilty in cases involving alleged fraud tied to COVID-19 relief programs.
The cases are part of a nationwide enforcement effort targeting fraud involving the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana announced 12 indictments and five guilty pleas as part of the effort. Prosecutors nationwide brought cases against more than 160 defendants between June 12 and Sept. 1, including about 80 newly charged defendants. The cases involve approximately $245 million in intended losses to taxpayers, according to the Justice Department…