A New Jersey man was sentenced to over 2 years in federal prison for stealing over $481,000 in COVID relief funds, authorities announced on Thursday.
Forty-year-old Bernard Lopez, of Sayreville, was sentenced via video conference by US District Judge Peter Sheridan to 30 months in prison for receiving fraudulent Payment Protection Program [PPP] funds for a fake business and for depositing an a stolen, altered treasury check of $211,886.87, acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced on Thursday.
According to court documents, Lopez deposited the altered US Treasury check into a corporate account created by Lopez under the name Pezlo Management, LLC, based in North Brunswick. He later transferred or withdrew the funds from the fake corporate account before the bank could detect the fraud.
In June 2020, Lopez filed a fraudulent PPP loan, intended to help small businesses struggling during the pandemic, on behalf of “Company-1” a fake business that he claimed he owned.
He claimed the non existent company had 25 employees with monthly payroll expenses of roughly $192,000 and other mortgage and utility expenses. A lender approved Lopez’s application and he received $481,502 in the emergency relief funds. Prosecutors said he then used the money for his own personal use.
He was arrested in Florida in July 2020 following a multi-agency investigation before he was returned by officials to New Jersey.
In addition to prison time, Lopez was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $137,000 and forfeiture of $481,502, officials said.