“This case is another example of the impactful work the PRAC is doing on behalf of taxpayers—we use leading-edge analytic tools to untangle the electronic trail that fraudsters leave behind, using connections in the data to identify their schemes to steal taxpayer money. Thanks to these coordinated efforts of the PRAC, our law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this complex fraud was uncovered and the fraudsters are being held accountable. We will continue this relentless pursuit of those who defrauded relief programs meant to assist deserving small businesses and recover their ill-gotten gains.”
“By working closely with PRAC to employ the latest technologies, SBA Office of Inspector General criminal investigators were able to employ data-driven insights with investigative expertise to dismantle a complex fraud scheme. This case underscores our ongoing commitment to protecting taxpayer funds and holding wrongdoers accountable through intergovernmental collaboration,” said Sheldon Shoemaker, Deputy Inspector General at SBA OIG.
This case was supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help Offices of Inspectors General and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. To date, the PRAC has provided investigative support to 48 federal law enforcement and oversight partners on over 1,000 pandemic-related investigations with over 23,000 subjects involving more than $2.4 billion in estimated fraud loss.
Read the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon's press release.
