During the height of COVID in March 2021, Spenc’r Rickerson wore a mask just like all the people did in a Newton BB&T bank branch. Then he walked up to the teller, pulled out a handgun and demanded money before fleeing with $3,350, court records show.
His other pandemic-related crime involved paperwork. He filled out fraudulent COVID loan applications and in return, the government sent him more than $84,000.
Apparently, that was easier than robbing a bank.
In fact, COVID relief fraud has proven to be a multibillion-dollar industry nationwide, according to the feds, and crooks in the Carolinas wanted to get their share.
In the Western District of North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King’s office in Charlotte has so far charged over 30 people in COVID fraud cases, with more than 20 sentenced to prison for as long as a decade. As of December, there were about 10 cases still pending trial.
The total amount alleged to have been stolen by people charged in the Western District is more than $15 million, according to King’s office.