JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man is facing federal wire fraud charges after being indicted on allegations that he submitted fraudulent documents to collect thousands of dollars in COVID-19 emergency rental assistance.
Edward Malone, a Jacksonville resident, was indicted May 27, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on two counts of wire fraud.
What is ERAP?
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) was created by the U.S. Department of Treasury to provide financial relief to renters struggling to pay rent or utilities due to hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
ERAP was authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Funds were distributed to states, territories and local governments, which each established their own eligibility programs. In Jacksonville, the City of Jacksonville (COJ) administered the program, requiring applicants to submit an ERAP application and demonstrate that at least one household member was obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling in Duval County. If approved, ERAP funds were sent directly to landlords in the form of a check.
Alleged scheme
According to the indictment, from approximately April 2021 through October 2021, Malone allegedly devised a scheme to defraud the COJ ERAP program by submitting roughly nine fraudulent landlord applications — directly and through his company, Rags II Riches Consulting Inc. — along with nine fraudulent lease documents…