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August 10, 2023 ¡ª?The United States Attorney¡¯s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Angela Castillo of Freeland, PA, pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023, before United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, to a wire fraud scheme involving the preparation and submission of numerous false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications.??

October 11, 2023 ¡ª Two men and one woman of Middlesex County, New Jersey, have pleaded guilty on separate charges related to their roles in fraudulently obtaining over $2.1 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

April 16, 2024 ¡ª Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Donald Finley, a Locust Valley businessman and owner of the now-defunct Jekyll & Hyde theme restaurant in Manhattan and the Bayville Adventure Park on Long Island, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 24 months in prison. Finley pleaded guilty in May 2023 to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud in connection with his receipt of $3.2 million dollars in small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). As part of his sentence, Finley has paid in full $3.2 million in restitution. As part of his sentence, Finley was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine and complete 500 hours of community service.

IR-2024-255, Oct. 2, 2024 ¡ª As part of efforts to help victims of Hurricane Helene, the Internal Revenue Service is taking special steps to provide more than 500 employees to help with the Federal Emergency Management Agency¡¯s (FEMA) disaster relief call lines and sending IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) agents into devastated areas to help with search and rescue efforts and other relief work.

IR-2021-214, November 3, 2021 ¡ª The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers that a special tax provision will allow more Americans to easily deduct up to $600 in donations to qualifying charities on their 2021 federal income tax return.

July 3, 2023 ¡ª Samuel Harris, who was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department ("MDPD"), has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan ("EIDL"), and an EIDL advance. Harris entered his guilty plea in Miami today before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr.

IR-2021-247, December 13, 2021 ¡ª The Internal Revenue Service joined today with several leading nonprofit groups to highlight a special tax provision that allows more people to deduct donations to qualifying charities on their 2021 federal income tax return.

December 1, 2023 ¡ª United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Tiera R. Lands of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 48 months in federal prison following her convictions for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with numerous false and fraudulent applications that she filed to obtain funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program in 2020 and 2021.

July 14, 2023 ¡ª Rami Saab of Glen Cove, New York, pleaded guilty at the federal courthouse in Central Islip to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his participation in a scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Association (SBA) of millions of dollars¡¯ worth of small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). Today¡¯s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Saab faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as restitution of $9,668,508 and a fine of up to $250,000.

IR-2024-266, Oct. 11, 2024 ¡ª In the wake of the devastating hurricanes that have ravaged Florida and the Southeast in recent weeks, the Internal Revenue Service today reassured victims that it stands ready to provide the tax-related assistance they need to recover from these storms.