Two people have pleaded guilty in federal court to a scheme that stole more than $187,000 in pandemic rental assistance funds in Lenoir County.
Daquan Copeland and Esless White admitted participating in a conspiracy to defraud North Carolina’s HOPE program, which was designed to help people struggling to pay rent and avoid eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors say the pair and others submitted fake rental leases for several Lenoir County properties to support fraudulent applications…