Las Vegas man sent to prison for defrauding COVID relief program
A Las Vegas man will serve more than two years in prison for defrauding federal pandemic relief programs, the office of the U.S. attorney of Nevada announced Thursday.
Arian Anthony Bailey illicitly obtained just over $40,000 from the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program under false pretenses, according to a copy of his plea agreement.
The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and was sentenced this month to 30 months in prison followed by three years of probation, according to the agreement. Bailey is also required to pay back $46,731.39, which includes $5,000 the government spent processing the applications.
Had the Small Business Administration approved three additional applications filed by Bailey for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan — intended for small businesses hammered by the pandemic — losses would’ve surpassed $550,000, documents show.
Prosecutors said in court documents that Bailey filed the various loan applications in 2021 for businesses that didn’t exist, including one in “home health services.”
Using “fraudulent documentation,” Bailey reported fake revenue amounts, and assurances that he would spend the money on business expenses, records show.
Bailey did so while out on supervised release for felony drug and gun convictions, which he also lied about in the applications, officials said.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
