A South Florida nurse fraudulently obtained over $400,000 in coronavirus relief funds for his own personal expenses, federal prosecutors said.
Giraldo Caraballo, 55, of Miami, applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program loan on behalf of his company, Professional Skills Inc., according to a criminal complaint.
Investigators said Caraballo falsely claimed the company had 28 employees and an average monthly payroll of $168,000. The complaint also alleges that Caraballo applied for and received approximately $55,000 in an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Instead of using the money for payroll, prosecutors said Caraballo transferred the money to other accounts and used it for personal expenses.
The nurse made his initial appearance Friday in Miami federal court. He’s charged with engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds and making false statements to a financial institution.
The Paycheck Protection Program, known as the PPP represents billions of dollars in forgivable small business loans for Americans struggling because of the pandemic. It’s part of the coronavirus relief package that became federal law in March, according to the AP.