MIAMI – A South Florida man is accused of buying a Lamborghini with some of the millions of dollars he accepted from the U.S. Government that was meant to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prosecutors on Monday announced the arrest of David Hines on federal charges after they say he fraudulently applied for federal help, and then went shopping for himself when granted the funds.
It’s an interesting twist after the same man told Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez earlier this month that COVID-19 was a hoax.
“It’s so ridiculous, I don’t know if I can bring myself to, actually, participate in this insanity,” Hines said. “Because of this non-existent pandemic.”
He actually ended up facing fines from Miami police for not wearing a mask. The full Local 10 story can be seen in the tweet below:
A walk with @MiamiPD #maskdetail enforcing the #maskmandate was an entry point into #antimask #rhetoric 👇 meet someone who was fined $100 + A Hialeah Hospital doctor clearly exasperated that there still even is a debate about #facemasks - a #nonpartisan #publichealth tool. https://t.co/ZVQg3KQGrs pic.twitter.com/Vz462LxtfY
— Christina Vazquez (@CBoomerVazquez) July 24, 2020
Now, federal prosecutors say Hines, 29, applied for more than $13 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was set up to help small businesses pay their employees, rents and bills.
Authorities said Hines received close to $4 million, claiming to be the head of four different companies: Unified Relocation Solutions, Promaster Movers, Cash In Holdings and We Pack Moving.
Investigators said they didn’t even find websites for those companies, but that Hines lied about paying out millions in payroll and submitted bogus tax documents.
As soon as Hines was granted his nearly $4 million in loans, he started spending it. Not on his alleged companies but instead on dating websites, jewelry, clothes, at Miami Beach resorts, and he allegedly dropped more than $300,000 on a 2020 Lamborghini Huracan.
The car has since been seized by authorities, along with $3.4 million from his bank accounts.
Local 10 News learned that Hines is now at his home, wearing an ankle monitor. He’s charged with one count of making false statements to a financial institution and one count of engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds.