Secret Service ASAIC Roy Dotson is among those chasing down COVID relief fraud
An estimated $100 billion in federal pandemic relief funding was stolen by fraudsters who blew the cash on lavish lifestyles, and now the government is grappling with the daunting task of tracking down and prosecuting the perpetrators.
In total, the US government splashed out some $6 trillion in emergency COVID-19 relief funds to prevent economic disaster, and the firehose of cash attracted a flock of eager fraudsters.
The suspects include a former NFL player and a reality TV star, and in the scores of cases brought so far, prosecutors allege that fraudulently obtained funds were spent on everything from Lamborghinis and Rolex watches to a contract murder.
Now, federal prosecutors, teams of investigators from multiple inspector general offices, and even the Secret Service are pursuing a complex web of investigations to bring the fraudsters to justice.
In December, the Secret Service appointed Assistant Special Agent in Charge Roy Dotson of the Jacksonville field office as the National Pandemic Fraud Recovery Coordinator, tasked with coordinating efforts across multiple ongoing investigations into fraudulent relief claims.
In one of the most infamous cases, David T. Hines, 29, from Miami, obtained $4 million in PPP funds and used the money to buy a $318,000 Lamborghini Huracan
Hines pleaded guilty in February 2021 to one count of wire fraud and was sentenced to more than…
