TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa man has been sentenced to over two and a half years in federal prison for misusing COVID-19 relief funds. Barrett Purvis, 54, was found guilty of wire fraud and money laundering after using a $500,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan for personal expenses, including gambling debts and credit card bills.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Purvis applied for the loan on behalf of his small business, but never intended to use the funds for legitimate business purposes.
Instead, he spent roughly half on gambling and the rest on personal debts.
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“COVID-19 relief programs were meant to serve as a lifeline to those struggling during uncertain times,”
said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “Using these
funds to instead pay for a gambling habit is an obvious and despicable abuse of a well-intentioned
program. To any fraudsters who exploited these programs for personal gain, it’s a safe bet that we will be
holding you accountable.”
Purvis has been ordered to pay $499,900 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
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