A Maryland pastor was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $3.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Pastor Rudolph Brooks, 48, of Cheltenham, will serve time in federal prison following a case surrounding COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans, The Christian Post reported. Reported Sunday.
“The sentence also includes two years of probation and requires the forfeiture of significant assets, including real estate in Maryland,” the article read.
A Maryland pastor who scammed $3.5 million in coronavirus relief funds to fund a lavish lifestyle has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Rudolph Brooks will also have to forfeit more than $2 million in 17 bank accounts and will have to sell his Tesla and other assets.https://t.co/W8OSYLspXm
— Julie Roys (@reachjulieroys) September 3, 2024
In a press release on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland detail case:
The CARES Act was enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic impacts of COVID-19. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for employee retention and certain business expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).
According to court documents, between April 2020 and September 2021, Brooks, who served as pastor of Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP loans, use the loan funds to enrich himself, and conceal the misappropriation of funds by laundering the loan funds. As described in the plea agreement, Brooks applied for PPP loans using multiple business entities, including Cars Direct by Gavawn HWD Bob's Motors (Cars Direct), Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, and Madaro, LLC. In each case, Brooks significantly inflated the number of employees and average monthly wages, and submitted falsified IRS Forms 940, employer annual federal unemployment tax returns, and other IRS forms in support of his loan applications.
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Brooks admitted to using the loan proceeds for his personal benefit and for payments and purchases not allowed under the PPP, including a home, luxury vehicles, restaurant, retail and grocery purchases. Brooks also withdrew cash and transferred it to other accounts he controlled.
Fox 5 reported in April 2021 that Brooks Deposit He transferred the loan money to his own account and used it to buy 39 used luxury cars.
“According to the federal complaint, these included a 2017 Mercedes-Benz, two 2017 Infiniti Q50s, a 2015 Cadillac Escalade, a 2005 Bentley Continental and a 2018 Tesla Model 3,” the outlet reported.
The pastor later pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, according to the Post article.
Breitbart News reported on March 10, 2023 that “at least $276 billion designated for COVID-19 relief funds has been lost to 'fraud' and waste, according to cumulative estimates released Thursday by inspectors general for the Departments of Labor, Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability in Washington, D.C.”
