Luzerne County man sentenced for $350K pandemic fraud
EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — The Middle District of Pennsylvania announced a Luzerne County man has been sentenced for committing $350,000 COVID-19 pandemic fraud.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Daniel Wasielewski, 59, of Wilkes-Barre, pleaded guilty to filing and assisting others in filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds,
including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans
(EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
The PPP and EIDL applications submitted by Wasielewski and his coconspirators were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not have actual business operations, and that bore false revenues and other business information, investigators stated.
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Wasielewski received approximately $350,000 in PPP, EIDL, PUA, and other fraudulently obtained funds, for himself and others. Police stated instead of using the funds on business expenses, Wasielewski used them to purchase cryptocurrency and for other personal expenses.
Banking officials froze and recovered approximately $150,000 of the stolen funds, and Wasielewski was ordered to pay restitution to the remaining victims.
Wasielewski was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment, for committing pandemic fraud.
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