MIAMI – A South Florida nurse fraudulently obtained about $ 420,000 in coronavirus aid funds, federal prosecutors said.
Miami’s Giraldo Caraballo, 55, made his first appearance on Friday in Miami’s federal court. He is accused of engaging in illegal revenue transactions and making false statements to a financial institution.
Caraballo applied for and received a paycheck protection loan on behalf of his company, Professional Skills Inc., according to a criminal complaint. He claimed the company had 28 employees and an average monthly payroll of $ 168,000, which investigators said was not true. The complaint also alleges that Caraballo applied for and received approximately $ 55,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Instead of using the money for payroll, prosecutors said Caraballo transferred the money to other accounts and used it for personal expenses.
The online court records did not list a defense attorney who could comment on the case against Caraballo.
The Paycheck Protection Program represents billions of dollars in forgivable small business loans to Americans struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic. It is part of the coronavirus aid package that became federal law in March.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is administered by the US Small Business Administration. The program offers low-interest financing to small businesses, tenants and homeowners in regions affected by reported disasters.