Former Florida lawmaker pleads guilty to wire fraud, money laundering

FLORIDA – A former Florida state representative has pleaded guilty to crimes he committed related to COVID-19 relief fraud, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).

Joseph Harding, 35, of Williston, pleaded guilty last week to wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in connection with COVID-19 relief fraud. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.

The former Republican lawmaker is perhaps best known for sponsoring the bill referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. He resigned last year.

Court documents reflect Harding devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and obtained coronavirus-related small business loans by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and while executing the scheme, caused wire communications to be transmitted in interstate commerce.

Harding also made a false and fraudulent SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application in the name of one of his dormant business entities that he submitted to the SBA, said the USAO.  Harding fraudulently obtained $150,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from the SBA to which he was not entitled, the USAO said.

After obtaining the EIDL proceeds, Harding conducted three monetary transactions, each involving more than $10,000 in fraudulently obtained funds: a transfer to his joint bank account, a payment to his credit card, and a transfer into a bank account of a third-party business entity, prosecutors said.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 25, 2023, at 11:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida, before the Honorable United States District Judge Allen Winsor.

Harding faces the following maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses:

• 20 years: Wire Fraud
• 10 years: Money Laundering
• 5 years:  Making False Statements

The investigation was jointly conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and David P. Byron.