A federal grand jury indicted Illinois postal workers for allegedly stealing COVID-19 relief funds.
A release from the United States attorney’s office named 19 defendants involved in the scheme, ranging in age from 25-47. The fraud was related to the Paycheck Protection Program, enacted through the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was administered through the Small Business Administration.
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The release said that the 19 named defendants have all been arraigned or issued a summons to appear in federal court. They each face a maximum of 30 years in prison.
The individuals were caught after an extensive investigation by a number of agencies, including the Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds has reached worrying heights, according to some analyses. An investigation from the Government Accountability Office found that $100-135 billion in unemployment insurance issued during the pandemic was stolen.
