Can I Go to Jail for Covid Fraud in Wisconsin?

 Posted on September 07, 2024 in Criminal Defense

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to have a noticeably harmful impact on people’s physical, mental, and financial health, Congress passed various measures to provide financial aid to people and businesses that were struggling. Hundreds of billions of dollars were set aside for companies, small businesses, and unemployed individuals.

However, with all these relief funds becoming available, claims of fraud increased. After uncovering over $8 billion in relief fraud, the Department of Justice formed the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to address it. Over 1,000 people have already faced criminal charges related to the COVID-19 relief funds. If you believe you might be accused of this form of federal fraud, speak with a skilled Waukesha County, WI criminal defense attorney to learn more.

What Is COVID Fraud?

Federal COVID-19 fraud refers to people illegally obtaining benefits from federal relief programs. If you are facing these charges, it means you are being accused of:

• Lying or falsifying information in the relief program application to make it appear that you are eligible for aid when you are not, a form of making false statements.

• Misusing funds for purposes that are not authorized by the program.

• Falsifying documents, meaning using fake or altered documents to make it seem like you are eligible for benefits when that is not true.

What Are the Sentences for Fraud?

The specific fraud charges and sentences you might face depend on the circumstances of the case. Some possibilities include:

• Wire fraud is when someone uses telecommunications––like a cellphone or computer––to commit fraud. You might be convicted if the prosecutors can prove that you intended to defraud and used interstate wire communication to carry out your plan. The sentence for wire fraud can be up to 20 years in prison, as well as hefty fines.

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud can be charged even if you did not commit the crime but only planned to break federal law. As with wire fraud, you could face up to 20 years in prison and heavy fines.

• Bank fraud is when someone knowingly plans to use false pretenses to defraud a financial institution or obtain money or assets owned or controlled by a financial institution. You could face up to 30 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

• Emergency and disaster assistance fraud is when people wrongly apply for disaster aid. You could be sentenced to 30 years or more in prison.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Milwaukee County, WI Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you are facing charges of COVID-19 fraud, speak with an experienced Jefferson County, WI criminal defense attorney. At Bucher Law Group, LLC, we will try to build a strong case that you lacked the intent to defraud, that you were eligible for the aid, that there is not enough evidence against you, or that procedural errors impacted your case. We are passionate about protecting our clients’ rights and will fight aggressively to get you the best outcome possible. Call us at 262-303-4916 to schedule a free consultation.