Columbus couple used shell companies to steal over $360,000 in COVID relief money, DOJ says
A Columbus couple is facing a maximum of 30 years in federal prison if convicted of charges alleging they stole more than $364,000 meant to fund businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Curtis Porch, 48, and Dereen Porch, 43, were taken into custody Monday after a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment on June 9, charging them with three counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
If convicted, the couple faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the wire theft charges and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for theft of government property.
According to the indictment, the couple allegedly submitted fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in June and July 2020, seeking CARES Act money for shell companies that suffered no losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the news release.
The DOJ alleges that the companies did not exist, did not conduct business or only existed on paper. As a result of the fraud, the defendants are accused of stealing or converting $364,200 from SBA, the release said.
The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.
This story was originally published June 14, 2021 at 5:16 PM.
