MIAMI – Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that three more Miami-area residents are joining more than a dozen others in facing charges in a massive COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Heidi Cid, 54, Lazaro Verdecia Hernandez, 36, and Yadier Rodriguez Arteaga, 38, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
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They could all face more than two decades in prison. Prosecutors accuse them of taking advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program.
Prosecutors accuse the three of submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications, “misrepresenting the number of the companies’ employees to make the businesses appear eligible for pandemic relief.”
Lenders disbursed more than $14.5 million to bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators, “who allegedly would then withdraw the money and give Cid, Verdecia Hernandez, and Rodriguez Arteaga a portion of the proceeds,” prosecutors said.
The three have appeared in front of a federal magistrate judge in Miami.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the following Miami-area residents have already pleaded guilty for their involvement in the scheme:
- Barbara Alvarez
- Giraldo Caraballo
- Kenia Carrillo
- Alfredo Contrera
- Leonardo Gonzalez Lopez
- Lester Hedman Safont
- Roberto Lopez
- Felix Martinez
- Honolio Navarro-Caballero
- Yailin Perez
- Osiel Rodriguez Furgel
- Oreste Ruiz Linares
- Nancy Saavedra Torres
- Yoliesse Sarmiento Carrion
- Jorge Trueba Lopez
Another Miami-area defendant, Nancy Bahos Serna, has made her initial appearance in federal court, according to prosecutors.
Two more alleged co-conspirators, Javier Pico, of Miami, and Erisbel Gonzalez Gomez, of Palm Beach County, have been charged but are considered to be fugitives.
Prosecutors asked anyone with information about COVID-19 relief fraud to call the DOJ’s National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721.