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A Florida man is in trouble for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars of COVID relief funds and then using them to treat himself to a Lamborghini.
David Tyler Hines, a 29-year-old from Miami, is being accused of falsifying federal applications in order to land $3.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The loans were given during the pandemic to help businesses stay afloat and allowing businesses to continue paying employees, according to the Department of Justice.
Instead, he treated himself to luxuries and is now going to spend some time behind bars.
“Those purported employees either did not exist or earned a fraction of what Hines claimed in his PPP applications,” according to NBC News.
“Collectively, Hines falsely claimed his companies paid millions of dollars in payroll the first quarter of 2020. State and bank records, however, show little to no payroll expense during this period.”
Feds say David Hines used nearly $4 million in coronavirus relief funds to buy a Lamborghini and spent thousands on dating sites and fancy hotels in Miami. Lamborghini seized, bank account forzen. Atty says he has legit business. House arrest with mom until October arraignment. pic.twitter.com/fnAaPjLGPv
— Lauren Pozen (@LaurenPozenSN1) July 28, 2020
Hines is one of more than 100 people who have been prosecuted for fraudulently obtaining PPP funds with more than $60 million seized, according to the Miami Herald.
