Man illegally sought coronavirus loans for companies named after 'Game of Thrones,' DOJ says
A North Carolina businessman who faces fraud charges is accused of seeking more than $6 million in coronavirus relief funding for companies named after "Game of Thrones" characters, authorities said.
Among the businesses for which the man, Tristan Pan, 38, is alleged to have sought loans under the Payroll Protection Program are The Night's Watch LLC, White Walker LLC and Khaleesi LLC, according to a federal indictment that was filed in U.S. District Court in North Carolina last week and unsealed Tuesday.
In a statement, the Justice Department alleged that Pan submitted 14 loan applications using fake documents and false tax filings to secure $1.7 million for White Walker and another company, Pan Insurance Agency.
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According to the indictment, Pan formed several other companies over the last decade, including Pan Realty, Technology for Teaching, NC Health Care Reform Advisors, A&D Pan Legacy, Health Care Without Borders and Digital Encryption Storage.
According to documents filed with the state, Pan is listed as having various roles with the companies, the indictment says.
A message left at a phone number for Pan listed in the documents wasn't returned; neither was a message left with Pan's attorney.
Pan faces charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt said this month that more than 50 people across the country have been charged with fraud after they were accused of trying to illegally obtain $175 million in coronavirus relief funding since it became available through the CARES Act.
Rabbitt said the actual losses were $70 million.
The loan program, which launched April 2, has been criticized for an assortment of administrative problems and controversies, as well as a lack of access for minority-owned small businesses.
