A Tobyhanna, PA resident is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he fraudulently secured over $300,000 in pandemic relief funds through false applications and supported his scheme with a fabricated tax return. The charges, filed by criminal information, allege the defendant used multiple fake businesses and misleading financial documents to obtain funds intended to help legitimate small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
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William Freeman IV, 45, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. Between 2020 and 2021, he allegedly submitted at least 10 fraudulent applications to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), using entities he controlled, including Second Haven Services for Youth, Phoenix Behavioral Health Network, Pocono Wing Hut, and Legacy Group Real Estate Company. Authorities say these entities had no real business operations and were used to submit false information about employees, revenues, and operating costs. He also failed to disclose a criminal history on these applications.
The funds obtained through these applications—more than $300,000—were reportedly used for personal, unapproved expenses and never repaid. Additionally, Freeman is accused of filing a false 2019 federal tax return in 2020, including a falsified Form 1040 and W-3, which claimed taxes were withheld and paid when they were not. The fraudulent return was allegedly submitted to bolster his qualifications for additional stimulus funds and to claim unwarranted tax refunds.
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The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. If convicted, Freeman faces a maximum sentence of 23 years in federal prison, along with possible supervised release and monetary fines. Sentencing will be determined by a judge under federal guidelines following any conviction.
These charges come amid ongoing efforts by the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which was launched in 2021 to target abuse of pandemic relief programs. Federal officials continue to encourage the public to report suspected fraud related to COVID-19 assistance through the National Center for Disaster Fraud.
Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania
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