A Miami social media influencer and singer has been handed a prison sentence of over two years for committing wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced. Scott Lee Huss, 28, was involved in a fraud scheme that included exploiting COVID-19 relief loan programs and attempting to use fake checks to pay off luxury car loans.
Huss received a 27-month federal prison sentence from U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore on Sept. 11 after pleading guilty to the charges against him. The case was the result of a collaboration between various agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office, among others, according to an undated press release on the Justice Department’s website.
According to court documents, Huss illicitly applied for and received six Paycheck Protection Program loans, adding up to more than $600,000. The funds, rather than being used for legitimate business expenses and employee salaries, were spent by Huss on cryptocurrency ventures and high-end vehicles. In a statement obtained by the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones condemned those who exploited the pandemic relief efforts for their personal gain, proclaiming, “Pandemic relief programs were designed to help struggling businesses and families—not to fund luxury lifestyles. Those who exploited these programs for their personal gain stole from the American people. Our Office will continue holding anyone accountable who defrauded COVID-19 relief funds, regardless of status or notoriety.”…