WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. — A man from Wayne County was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for his role in COVID-19 pandemic fraud schemes.
Christopher Miller, 36, formerly of Newfoundland, was sentenced last week to 149 months in prison following his convictions of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful monetary transactions.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Miller filed approximately 50 fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
Miller also filed fraudulent applications on behalf of himself and numerous family members, friends, and associates. In exchange, he received cash kickbacks from those individuals. Through his scheme, Miller and his associates secured over $2.1 million in pandemic stimulus funds. Instead of using his funds on business expenses, as intended, Miller used them to purchase automobiles, vacations, and real estate, among other personal expenses.
Some of the applications submitted by Miller were filed on behalf of corporate entities under his control that did not have actual business operations, and that bore false addresses, false IRS-issued Employee Identification Numbers, false dates of business establishment and operation, false employee headcount information, and fabricated gross income, gross receipts, and payroll obligation information.
The applications also included forged IRS income tax returns and federal employment tax documents. Miller failed to disclose in the applications that he was previously convicted of a felony.
Miller must also serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and pay full restitution.
The United States also prosecuted Robert Reynolds, also of Newfoundland, for obtaining fraudulent PUA benefits with Miller. Reynolds pleaded guilty to wire fraud and awaits sentencing.
