Baltimore County Man Sentenced for $520K COVID Fraud

Defendant received over $500,000 in pandemic relief loans through fraudulent claims.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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A Baltimore County man was sentenced to two years in federal prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining over $520,000 in COVID-19 relief loans. The defendant submitted false applications to the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, claiming he had numerous employees and substantial business revenues when in fact he had no active businesses.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing problem of fraud and abuse in COVID-19 relief programs, which were intended to provide critical financial assistance to struggling businesses and individuals during the pandemic. Prosecutions like this aim to deter future attempts at exploiting these government aid programs.

The details

According to court documents, the defendant submitted multiple fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration, falsely claiming he had dozens of employees and hundreds of thousands in annual revenue for businesses that did not actually exist. He then used the ill-gotten loan proceeds for personal expenses rather than for their intended purpose of supporting a legitimate business.

  • On February 3, 2026, the defendant was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
  • In 2020, the defendant submitted the fraudulent loan applications to receive COVID-19 relief funds.

The players

Baltimore County Man

The unnamed defendant who pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining over $520,000 in COVID-19 relief loans.

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What’s next

The judge ordered the defendant to serve two years in federal prison and pay full restitution of the fraudulently obtained funds.

The takeaway

This case underscores the importance of robust oversight and accountability measures to prevent abuse of COVID-19 relief programs, which were intended to provide critical aid to those truly in need during the pandemic.