Henry Ellard Jr. guilty of stealing $144,000 in COVID-19 fraud, DOJ says

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) -- Henry Ellard Jr. pleaded blameworthy Wednesday to stealing $144,000 successful COVID-19 alleviation money, according to U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.

Officials accidental 39-year-old Henry Ellard Jr. of Fresno created Baptiste Ellard LLC successful July 2020 and utilized the institution to further the scheme.

39-year-old Henry Ellard Jr. of Fresno

According to the national Department of Justice, helium past utilized the LLC to use for and person $144,000 successful COVID-19 alleviation wealth from the Small Business Administration (SBA).  Ellard falsely told the SBA that Baptiste had 10 employees, an yearly payroll of much than $695,000, and that helium would usage the indebtedness proceeds for concern expenses. 

According to the Department of Justice, the institution had nary employees, nary yearly payroll, and nary existent operations and arsenic such, the institution was ineligible for PPP loans. Ellard subsequently utilized $144,000 of the alleviation wealth for idiosyncratic expenses, including restaurants, bars, airfare, hotels, clothing, and golf.

This lawsuit is the merchandise of an probe by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Arelis M. Clemente are prosecuting the case.

Ellard is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected Feb. 24, 2025. Ellard faces a maximum statutory punishment of 10 years successful situation and a good of $250,000. 

The existent condemnation volition beryllium determined astatine the discretion of the court.