Fraud Thieves Not Wanted!

Finally, people stealing billions of dollars from our COVID-relief programs are being punished. I was amazed at the staggering number of thieves who have been stealing for years: 870,000! 

They should also be removed from any benefits they've been getting -- and if they are illegals aliens, they should be removed from our country!

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(Excerpt) 

Vance announces about 870,000 people suspected of defrauding COVID-era programs barred from future federal loans

By Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 9-14-26

Kansas City, Missouri — Vice President JD Vance announced Monday the Trump administration will suspend roughly 870,000 people suspected of defrauding pandemic-era small business programs from receiving future federal loans. 

The vice president contended that borrowers who stole taxpayer money should no longer be eligible to receive loans from government-backed programs.

"If you screwed the American taxpayer, the federal government is now going to say you're cut off, no more," Vance told reporters. "You shouldn't be applying anymore, and if you do apply, you're no longer able to get those benefits."

His remarks came as the Justice Department announced a slew of cases in a nationwide crackdown on fraud involving the COVID-19-era Paycheck Protection Program.

The department's enforcement push, which ran from June 12 through Sept. 1 and was dubbed "Heartland fraud surge," resulted in actions involving more than 160 defendants and approximately $245 million in intended losses to taxpayers. The operation was put into action more than five years after the government pushed emergency loans to businesses nationwide that were struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The initiative involved prosecutors from 44 U.S. Attorney's Offices, along with more than 20 federal and state investigative partners.

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the suspensions announced by the vice president are tied to an estimated $39 billion in suspected fraud from across 45 states and territories. Combined with earlier enforcement actions, Loeffler said the SBA has now suspended borrowers connected to roughly $49 billion in alleged fraud across all 50 states.

SBA has previously stated that all suspended borrowers are barred from future small-business and disaster loans and from programs including its 8(a) federal contracting program.

"Exposing these criminals is only the first step," Loeffler said. "This summer, we referred $22 billion to the United States Treasury for collections."

The SBA had previously announced that it had referred more than 560,000 suspected fraudulent borrowers, tied to roughly $22.2 billion in delinquent PPP and COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan program loans, to the Treasury Department for collection.

While not criminal prosecutions, treasury collections are aimed at recovering outstanding debt owed to the federal government.

Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS News in an interview Monday, "We have 500 prosecutors now in D.C. and around the country focused on this. We have prosecutors in all 93 U.S. attorneys' offices now directly focused on this."

Throughout the surge, federal prosecutors and investigators pressed felony charges against nearly 80 defendants in cases involving roughly $100 million in intended losses connected to Small Business Administration COVID-era programs, including the PPP and EIDL programs. 

Another approximately 43 defendants pleaded guilty in SBA-related COVID fraud cases involving roughly $44 million in intended losses, while about 40 defendants were sentenced in cases involving nearly $100 million in intended losses.

In total, the summer enforcement activity targeted more than 160 criminal defendants and roughly $245 million in intended losses total, according to the Justice Department.

The cases involve a broad range of alleged schemes, including fabricated businesses, false payroll and revenue information, plus identity theft.

Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel appeared alongside federal and state law enforcement officials in Kansas City to announce the results of the operation. 

The federal investigation targeted fraud in a program that stopped issuing new loans in 2021. Congress established the PPP or the Paycheck Protection Program in March 2020 to prevent businesses from collapsing as sweeping shutdowns and pandemic restrictions upset the economy. Backed by the Small Business Administration, banks and other lenders ultimately made roughly 11.8 million loans totaling about $800 billion. While loans could be forgiven, borrowers had to meet strict requirements, including using the money for payroll and other eligible expenses.