CARES Act Fraud

Palm Beach County Inspector General: Forged documents used in COVID relief fraud cases

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) was passed in March 2020 to blunt the economic damage from the global coronavirus pandemic.

Palm Beach County's Inspector General has found two more instances of alleged CARES Act fraud, raising the total amount of questionable activity during the past 15 months to more than $160,000 in the county.

In December, an IG report was released alleging that a tenant forged documents to obtain rental assistance to avoid being evicted. He claimed Walgreens reduced his hours, preventing him from paying his rent during the COVID shutdown.

The tenant is alleged to have forged Walgreens’ pay stubs and letters stating that his work hours were reduced due to the pandemic. He told the county he was facing eviction from his apartment in Lake Worth Beach for nonpayment of rent. He submitted three applications, all of which contained documents that were “fabricated,” the report states. The county, using CARES Act funds totaling $13,200, paid rent to the tenant’s landlord.

He submitted a forged payroll stub that even misspelled the city of Jupiter.

Read about the criminal misfit