A former Miramar mayoral candidate was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation and ordered to repay more than $123,000 in federal funds after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 relief loan.
Rudy Theophin, 41, admitted in federal court to submitting a false application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in July 2020. Prosecutors said he claimed his business employed eight people and had an annual payroll of more than $583,000. In reality, the company did not exist, and the tax documents supporting the loan were fabricated.
Theophin received $123,675 through the PPP program, which was intended to help struggling small businesses during the pandemic. He used part of the funds to purchase a $255,000 condominium in Miramar. That property is now subject to federal forfeiture as part of a money judgment…