Miami is among the nation’s leading markets for luxury real estate, and one of the city’s self-proclaimed sales gurus is now bound for prison after scamming the federal government out of nearly $400,000 in COVID-19 relief aid.
According to The Blaze, Daniela Rendon, who billed herself as an “Ultra Luxury” real estate agent, sought to justify her crimes as ripping off “the faceless entities of the U.S. Government.”
Federal prosecutors asserted that Rendon, through her companies Rendon PA and Rendon Holdings, received $381,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans between April 2020 and April 2022.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps
Instead of using the money to rescue her business, Rendon acquired a 2021 Bentley Bentayga — which at the time would have retailed for at least $166,000 — rented an upscale apartment on Biscayne Bay, paid for plastic surgery, and refinished her designer shoes, The Blaze noted.
Prosecutors alleged that Rendon obtained the relief aid by falsifying her revenue, number of employees, and payroll at her real estate business. She then submitted bogus IRS tax forms, while also distributing the money to herself, her family members, and friends.
Rendon faced seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to The Blaze, and could have received up to 20 years in prison.
Yet Rendon pled guilty to one count of wire fraud last spring, after prosecutors dropped the rest of the charges, and last week she was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.
In the news: One Man Killed At Birthday Party On Branch Forbes Road In Plant City
In a statement to the court, she noted, “Looking back, it becomes all too tempting to utter the words ‘everybody was doing it’ as a feeble attempt to rationalize my actions. I regretfully confess that I once foolishly believed that the victims of my crimes were merely the faceless entities of the U.S. Government.”
Two months ago, the Office of Inspector General of the Small Business Administration issued a report saying that as much as 17% of the $1.2 trillion in COVID relief distributed by the government — or roughly $200 billion — was stolen because of fraud.
Ironically for Rendon, the SBA announced earlier this year that the government forgave roughly 92% of all PPP loans, essentially turning them into free grants from Washington.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps