14 Charged in Dallas in $53M Covid Payroll Loan Scheme

In one of the federal government’s widest-ranging COVID-era fraud cases to date, 14 people in Texas, Oklahoma and California have been accused of cheating the Paycheck Protection Program and a dozen financial institutions out of more than $53 million.

According to a series of indictments filed under seal June 21, 12 of the defendants controlled, were employed by or did business with “a loosely affiliated group of purported metal recycling companies” in the greater Dallas and Houston areas. The other two defendants were associated with “a purported technology company” in California.