Defendant Fraudulently Obtained Disaster Relief Loans and Used Proceeds to Invest in Cryptocurrency
Carmine G. Agnello pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his receipt of approximately $1.1 million in small business loans under the United States Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury. When sentenced, Agnello faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as restitution totaling more than $940,000 and a fine of up to $2.2 million.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant shamefully used the public health and economic crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to line his pockets with stolen funds,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The reality is, those who engaged in blatant theft of taxpayer dollars intended to assist legitimate businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic should know that despite the passage of time, there is no free pass for their crimes and they will be vigorously prosecuted by the Office.”
“Agnello allegedly used over $1 Million in COVID relief funds for his own financial gain. Government money that was intended to assist struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Postal Inspectors will relentlessly pursue any individuals who scheme to defraud the government and steal taxpayer funds. We, along with our law enforcements partners, will not end this pursuit of justice until those who take advantage of the U.S. Mail to commit fraud are held fully accountable. This guilty plea is proof of that fact. I would like to thank our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, for their work on this investigation,” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Brubaker.
Congress created the EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.
As set forth in court filings, between April 2020 and November 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Agnello fraudulently applied for, and received, at least three EIDLP loans totaling approximately $1.1 million that he submitted on behalf of Crown Auto Parts & Recycling, LLC (Crown), a Jamaica, Queens-based business that he operated. As part of the scheme, Agnello submitted documentation to the Small Business Administration and financial institution responsible for disbursing the funds, that falsely claimed he had no criminal record when, in reality, he had a 2018 misdemeanor conviction. Agnello also submitted false information about the number of employees that worked for Crown and the intended use of the loan proceeds. Instead of using the funds for disaster relief, Agnello diverted them for his personal use, including by investing approximately $420,000 in a cryptocurrency business.
