A Georgia man has been sentenced to jail after he was caught using illegally obtained COVID-19 relief money to buy a US$57,000 Pokémon trading card.
Vinath Oudomsine of Dublin, Ga., pleaded guilty in October to a single count of wire fraud after he was accused of submitting false information to the U.S. Small Business Administration last year when he applied for a coronavirus relief loan for an “entertainment services” business he claimed to own.
He received $85,000 from the loan program, prosecutors said, and used it to buy a “Charizard” Pokémon trading card for $57,789.
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The 31-year-old claimed that his nonexistent business had 10 employees and was grossing about $235,000 per year, said a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“COVID-19 disaster relief loans are issued by the government to help businesses struggling to survive during a pandemic, not to use for trivial collectible items,” Philip Wislar, acting special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement.
“This sentence highlights the FBI’s commitment to aggressively pursue anyone who would abuse taxpayer dollars and divert them from citizens who desperately need them.”
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The Pokémon enthusiast was sentenced to three years in prison.
He was also ordered to forfeit the “Charizard” card, fined $10,000, and must pay $85,000 in restitution.
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