Florida man gets 3 years, 6 months for COVID-19 relief fraud

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for fraudulently collecting over $800,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Court records show 63-year-old Louis Thornton III was sentenced Friday (Jan. 14, 2022) in Tampa federal court. He pleaded guilty in September 2021 to wire fraud. He must also pay back relief funds he received. According to court documents, Thornton submitted fraudulent loan applications in 2020 through the Small Business Administration on behalf of several defunct companies, claiming the companies were operational and had suffered economic injury from the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities say Thornton used funds to invest in stocks, futures and commodities.