PACE, Fla. — A former Pace resident has been sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy crimes tied to a scheme involving more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida announced.
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Sean Eric Thompson, 44, pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, three counts of making false statements, six counts of money laundering, and three counts of bankruptcy fraud.
According to court documents, Mr Thompson submitted a fraudulent application in May 2021 to the Small Business Administration’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a program created to help restaurants and similar businesses remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors said Thompson claimed the business had suffered $1,128,233 in pandemic-related losses. The Small Business Administration paid that amount into an account designated by Mr Thompson on May 25, 2021.
Authorities said Thompson later spent portions of the money on personal expenses, including transferring $150,000 into a personal investment account between August and November 2021.
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Prosecutors said Mr Thompson filed for bankruptcy in August 2023 and allegedly submitted false information in his bankruptcy petition and schedules, including failing to disclose the Restaurant Revitalization Fund money and his interest in a second business.
Court records also show Thompson testified falsely under oath during a September 2023 meeting of creditors connected to the bankruptcy proceeding.
In February 2024, he was said to have caused fraudulently altered financial statements to be submitted to the trustee administering his bankruptcy estate.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric W. Welch prosecuted it.
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