Mississippi businessman sentenced in pandemic relief fraud

A Mississippi businessman has been sentenced to additional than six yrs in prison for misusing about $6 million in small business loans through a coronavirus pandemic reduction method.

Christopher Paul Lick of Starkville acquired the 78-thirty day period sentence Friday from U.S. District Court docket Choose Glen H. Davidson. The sentencing took area in Oxford almost two months right after Lick pleaded responsible to wire fraud.

Alternatively than use the income for his corporations, Lick admitted working with it for own investments in the stock sector and to invest in a residence valued at additional than $1 million, in accordance to a information release Monday from Clay Joyner, the U.S. lawyer for northern Mississippi.

“The sentence imposed in this circumstance was properly deserved,” Joyner reported. “For a lot more than two yrs, the defendant was residing lavishly on taxpayer dollars when tens of millions of Us citizens have been struggling for the duration of the pandemic.”

Lick filed fraudulent bank loan apps to banking companies that were supplying loans as element of the Paycheck Security Software, according to court docket documents. The information show Lick owned and managed 4 corporations, such as Aspen River Candle Co., based mostly in Columbus, Mississippi. Joyner said Lick admitted overstating the number of personnel and payroll expenses to get income.

Fairly than use the Paycheck Protection Plan money for his corporations, Lick admitted he purchased a residence valued at far more than $1 million and utilized some of the dollars for individual investments in the inventory industry, the information release reported.

Paycheck Protection Software financial loans ended up assured by the Small Enterprise Administration beneath the federal Coronavirus Help, Reduction and Economic Safety Act.

Jermicha Fomby, particular agent in cost of the FBI subject office environment in Jackson, said in the news launch that Lick “took incredibly proactive methods to defraud the U. S. Authorities and the citizens of this country.”