Federal officials will announce charges against “dozens” of Broward County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office deputies and detention officers in one of the largest investigations into Paycheck Protection Program fraud, the Miami Herald reports.
The officers are accused of using corporations they owned to claim lost income, which was recouped through PPP, which was set up to compensate people for wages lost due to the pandemic. The online watchdog site Florida Bulldog reports that as many as 70 officers could be named when indictments are announced Thursday.
In a fun bit of candor, the Miami Herald notes that the region has gained an unwelcome bit of renown: “South Florida, long known as the nation’s capital of fraud schemes, has incurred more than 140 PPP criminal cases over the past three years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” If the expected maximum number of cases is brought tomorrow, that total will jump by 50%.