According to the BBC’s report, Dana McIntyre, the owner of the “Rasta Pasta Pizzeria” in Boston, made many false applications for aid allowance during the epidemic process.
Undue requests for assistance began in March 2020 when McIntyre applied for relief funds for non-existent businesses using the names of his adult children.
McIntyre then enlisted further assistance, arguing that he had no income from the pizzeria.
McIntyre, who applied for a loan of approximately $660,000 with the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), which allows small businesses that are hit hard by the epidemic to access low-interest private loans to cover payroll and other expenses, made numerous false statements about the size of his business in the application form.
MyIntyre continued to receive allowances despite selling the restaurant a few months later.
A press release from the US Department of Justice reported that McIntyre used the funds for other personal expenses, including an alpaca farm in Vermont, 8 alpacas, two vehicles, and the broadcast of a cryptocurrency-themed radio show.
McIntyre was sentenced to two years in prison for fraudulently accepting more than $660,000 in federal aid to distressed business owners.