Davenport Man Admits to COVID-19 Relief Wire Fraud | Columbia Basin | yoursourceone.com – Source ONE News

SPOKANE - 40-year-old Nathan Michael Triano of Davenport, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges related to misuse of COVID-19 relief funds. The admission occurred before United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice, who has scheduled sentencing for August 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in Spokane.

During court proceedings, Triano acknowledged that he fraudulently secured six Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $140,865 by submitting false information about various alleged businesses. This deceit not only led to wrongful disbursement of the PPP funds but also caused an additional loss of $15,000 in lender fees, bringing the total financial impact to at least $155,865.

U.S. Attorney Waldref expressed strong disapproval of the fraudulent activities, emphasizing the government's dedication to pursuing justice. "...these defendants repeatedly used fraudulent schemes to defraud the United States Government and take critical funds that were to be used as a lifeline to small and local businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic," Waldref stated. He assured that efforts to prosecute those who exploited the pandemic relief efforts would persist.

The case, officially recorded as United States v. Triano, was diligently investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force alongside several federal agencies including the SBA Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Securitys Homeland Security Investigations and Office of Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman and Jeremy J. Kelley were leading the prosecution of Triano's case.

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Davenport Man Admits to COVID-19 Relief Wire Fraud | Columbia Basin | yoursourceone.com - Source ONE News