Latest news with #andEconomicSecurityAct
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas woman charged with filing false unemployment claims
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas woman has been charged with using stolen identities to file false unemployment benefits claims. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas said 35-year-old Kylie Charles is charged with 17 counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges that between May 2020 and August 2021, Charles stole the identities of people she knew and used their information without their knowledge or consent to file false unemployment claims under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) program. Dodge City chiropractor has license suspended The program provided financial relief and expanded unemployment benefits to some people who would not typically qualify, such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, and people who lost their businesses due to the pandemic. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Labor Department secures eye-popping sum to return to taxpayers amid DOGE push
U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced on Monday that her department will return over $1 billion in unused COVID-era funding back to the taxpayer amid the Trump administration's push for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. In a press release, the Labor Department said $1.4 billion of unspent COVID funding will be "returned to taxpayers through the U.S. Department of Treasury's General Fund" and added that "action" is "being taken to recover the remaining $2.9 billion." "The roughly $4.3 billion was intended for states to use for temporary unemployment insurance during the pandemic," the press release states. "Instead, several states continued spending millions of dollars despite no longer meeting necessary requirements, which was uncovered in a 2023 audit conducted by the department's Office of Inspector General." The department explained in the press release that the funding originated from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in March 2020 and that the program was meant to provide expanded unemployment insurance for Americans who were not able to work during the pandemic. Expert Turns Tables On Dem Critics After Musk Accuses Social Security Of Being 'Ponzi Scheme' The program was closed in 2021, the department said, but the 2023 audit "found four states were allowed to access the funding 'despite not meeting program requirements,' totaling over $100 million in spending." Read On The Fox News App "There's no reason leftover COVID unemployment funds should still be collecting dust," DeRemer told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I promised to look out for Americans' hard-earned tax dollars, and we are delivering at the Department of Labor." "Any money still sitting around for pandemic-era unemployment funds is a clear misuse of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars," Chavez-DeRemer said in the press release, adding that she is "rooting out waste to ensure American Workers always come First." Labor Secretary Chavez-deremer's First Memo Calls On Staff To Comply With Trump Policies: 'Let's Get To Work' Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said in a statement, "It's unacceptable that billions of dollars went unchecked in a program that ended several years ago. "In a huge win for the American taxpayer, we've clawed back these unused funds and will keep working to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse." The announcement comes after DeRemer said in her first memo to the department after taking over last month that she plans to comply with Trump's executive orders and work with DOGE to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. "Under the leadership of President Trump, our focus remains on promoting job creation, enhancing workforce development, and ensuring safe working conditions, wages, and pensions so that every American has the opportunity to succeed," DeRemer said to employees in the memo. "I challenge each of you to actively engage with your teams to identify innovative solutions that can help us achieve our goals." Chavez-DeRemer said that the Labor Department must align with the priorities of the Trump administration and "must focus on practicing fiscal responsibility, reducing unnecessary spending, and optimizing our resources to ensure that taxpayer dollars are utilized effectively." Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this reportOriginal article source: Trump Labor Department secures eye-popping sum to return to taxpayers amid DOGE push
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump Labor Department secures eye-popping sum to return to taxpayers amid DOGE push
U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced on Monday that her department will return over $1 billion in unused COVID-era funding back to the taxpayer amid the Trump administration's push for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. In a press release, the Labor Department said $1.4 billion of unspent COVID funding will be "returned to taxpayers through the U.S. Department of Treasury's General Fund" and added that "action" is "being taken to recover the remaining $2.9 billion." "The roughly $4.3 billion was intended for states to use for temporary unemployment insurance during the pandemic," the press release states. "Instead, several states continued spending millions of dollars despite no longer meeting necessary requirements, which was uncovered in a 2023 audit conducted by the department's Office of Inspector General." The department explained in the press release that the funding originated from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in March 2020 and that the program was meant to provide expanded unemployment insurance for Americans who were not able to work during the pandemic. The program was closed in 2021, the department said, but the 2023 audit "found four states were allowed to access the funding 'despite not meeting program requirements,' totaling over $100 million in spending." "There's no reason leftover COVID unemployment funds should still be collecting dust," DeRemer told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I promised to look out for Americans' hard-earned tax dollars, and we are delivering at the Department of Labor." "Any money still sitting around for pandemic-era unemployment funds is a clear misuse of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars," Chavez-DeRemer said in the press release, adding that she is "rooting out waste to ensure American Workers always come First." Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said in a statement, "It's unacceptable that billions of dollars went unchecked in a program that ended several years ago. "In a huge win for the American taxpayer, we've clawed back these unused funds and will keep working to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse." The announcement comes after DeRemer said in her first memo to the department after taking over last month that she plans to comply with Trump's executive orders and work with DOGE to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. "Under the leadership of President Trump, our focus remains on promoting job creation, enhancing workforce development, and ensuring safe working conditions, wages, and pensions so that every American has the opportunity to succeed," DeRemer said to employees in the memo. "I challenge each of you to actively engage with your teams to identify innovative solutions that can help us achieve our goals." Chavez-DeRemer said that the Labor Department must align with the priorities of the Trump administration and "must focus on practicing fiscal responsibility, reducing unnecessary spending, and optimizing our resources to ensure that taxpayer dollars are utilized effectively."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Crossville woman sentenced in COVID relief funds fraud scheme
A former Crossville woman was sentenced to prison and to pay restitution in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funds for a fictitious cattle farm while living in Cumberland County. Shelby Lynn Hill, 54, of Crystal Beach, TX, was sentenced earlier this week to one year and a day in prison for fraudulently obtaining and misusing Paycheck Protection Program loans guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Hill also was ordered to repay $264,645 in restitution and a forfeiture money judgment, and she will be on supervised release for one year after she serves her sentence. Hill pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of wire fraud. Hill obtained several fraudulent PPP loans while living in Crossville. According to court documents and evidence presented to the court, Hill fraudulently obtained a $220,645 PPP loan for a fictitious business, Plateau Angus Farms, in 2020. She claimed to be the owner and operator of a cattle farm in Crossville. Hill told the PPP lender that Plateau Angus Farms employed 14 people and that its monthly payroll expenses exceeded $88,000. Hill submitted fake documents, including Forms W-2 and Tennessee Secretary of State records, as proof of her business. Hill received a $42,700 PPP loan for a second fictitious company, Premium Persians of the Plateau. She also misused the PPP loan proceeds awarded to a third company, Shelby Lynn Hill, MD PLLC, using a portion of the PPP loan to begin installation of a personal swimming pool. Hill was employed as a health insurance broker at the time she applied for the PPP loans. Some of the individuals she listed as employees on the Plateau Angus Farms PPP loan application were potential health insurance customers. Hill admitted that she was not authorized to use their names or personal identifiers to obtain PPP loans. The Paycheck Protection Program was created under the CARES Act and was intended to incentivize small businesses to keep their employees on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP program was administered and guaranteed by the Small Business Association, a federal government entity. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cookeville Resident Agency, Nashville Field Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint prosecuted the case.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IRS still investigating CARES Act fraud, 5 years later
ATLANTA (WRBL) — On the five-year anniversary of the signing of the CARES, or Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the Atlanta Field Office of the IRS's Criminal Investigation Unit is still prosecuting criminal acts committed during the pandemic. 'We've initiated 2,039 tax and money laundering cases related to COVID fraud,' said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette. 'IRS criminal investigations and other federal agencies are investigating these crimes and will continue to do so.' According to Fontanette, IRS-CS has a 97.4% conviction rate with these cases. Three people have been convicted in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds case in Georgia in June 2024. Teldrin Foster, John Gaines, and Carla Jackson were sentenced for their roles in a scheme to steal PPP funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaines worked with co-defendant Thomas and others to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan in the amount of $806,710, for a Georgia business called Gaines Reservation and Travel. That business had no employees or payroll expenses. To support the fraudulent PPP loan application, Gaines provided Thomas with fabricated bank statements for Gaines Reservation and Travel that reflected fake payroll deductions. After the PPP loan was approved, the funds were deposited into an account controlled by Gaines. Gaines later directed payments to Thomas that were disguised as payments for rent and payroll, which are approved expenses under the PPP. Jackson laundered some of the proceeds of Gaines Reservation and Travel's PPP loan, receiving over $300,000 of the stolen PPP funds into her business's bank account. The funds were then transferred via a check in the amount of $155,252.50 and a wire transfer in the amount of $179,985.72. The check allegedly claimed that the funds were provided to Jackson as consulting fees and daily business management, and the wire transfer documentation stated that the funds were for payroll services. In actuality, Jackson was assisting Gaines in concealing the stolen PPP funds from detection and seizure by federal law enforcement. Teldrin Foster of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to a little more than 10 years prison. John Gaines of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to a little more than five years in prison. Carla Jackson of Tucker, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison. 'These defendants have been held accountable for depriving this program of funds desperately needed by some of the most vulnerable in our society. And their sentences send a clear message that fraud against the government will not be tolerated.' said U.S. Attorney Ryan K Buchanan. There have not been any new convictions since, according to the IRS. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
