EMPLOYEE AGREES TO CIVIL SETTLEMENT RELATED TO THE RECEIPT OF PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOAN

On February 29, 2024, an Amtrak sheet metal worker based in Miami, Florida, signed a civil settlement agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, to pay a total of $18,750, including $16,537.34 in restitution. Our investigation found that the employee applied for and received two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans for an alleged automotive repair business in the amount of $5,746 each. The employee claimed to have made over $25,000 in gross revenues from his business that qualified him for the loan. We interviewed the employee who admitted that the business had no reported income in 2019 or 2020 and that the PPP loan applications were false.