PACE, Fla. — A former Pace resident has been sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy crimes tied to a scheme involving more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida announced.
Sean Eric Thompson, 44, pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, three counts of making false statements, six counts of money laundering, and three counts of bankruptcy fraud.
According to court documents, Mr Thompson submitted a fraudulent application in May 2021 to the Small Business Administration’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a program created to help restaurants and similar businesses remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic…