Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. Four Jacksonville people are among 106 charged or pleading guilty in a nationwideinvestigation into fraud in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The three-month “Operation No Doze” investigation started in June. Federal prosecutors across the country investigated alleged fraudulent activities that tallied about $245 million in intended loss to taxpayers, officials said.
“Pandemic load relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns — not line the pockets of fraudsters,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a news release. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications.”…