Florida Pastor Allegedly Defrauds US Government of Thousands of Dollars, Obtaining Loans for Fake Business: DOJ

A former Florida church pastor who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the US government could face decades in prison if convicted.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida alleges Marcus Eichelberger conspired with another unnamed individual to “fraudulently complete and submit applications” for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

The PPP was a US government program designed to cushion small businesses from the economic hardships wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the loan application, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida says Eichelberger and his accomplice certified that the loan would be used to maintain payroll and meet the expenses of a purported business, but this did not turn out to be the case in the end.

“After the loans were approved, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual retained the proceeds for their personal use and not for any legitimate PPP purpose.”

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Eichelberger and his alleged accomplice later sought to have the loans forgiven. The US government incurred a loss of approximately $50,000 as a result.

The former church pastor now stands indicted on four counts of wire fraud in relation to the loans that he allegedly fraudulently obtained and sought forgiveness for.

If convicted, Eichelberger faces up to 20 years in federal prison per count.

Generated Image: Midjourney