TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Georgia man is accused of stealing $38,000 meant for Florida businesses recovering from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, using a fraudulent emergency loan application to divert disaster relief funds into his own account.
On Nov. 25, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced the arrest of Carl Anthony Needham Jr., 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, for grand theft, identity theft, and money laundering in connection with a fraudulent emergency loan scheme.
Investigators say Needham stole $38,000 intended for Florida small businesses recovering from the devastation of Hurricanes Milton and Helene in 2024. The funds were part of the state’s Emergency Bridge Loan (EBL) program, designed to help businesses rebuild after the storms.
The case began when the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office received a report of identity theft involving an EBL application. FDLE agents said they discovered that two applications had been submitted under the same name: one legitimate request for $25,000 and a second fraudulent application for $38,000. Both contained the victim’s personal information, but the fraudulent application listed a different bank account for deposit…