2 NYPD detectives charged in COVID-19 relief loan fraud

August 13, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

The Eastern District of New York is taking strong action against fraud by charging two NYPD detectives and others who submitted false PPP loan applications, protecting COVID-19 relief funds from those who sought to exploit them for personal gain. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

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A program set up to help those in need was abused by those supposed to protect society, as a pair of NYPD detectives were among those charged with federal crimes on Monday related to stealing COVID-19 relief funds.

On Monday, the two greedy NYPD detectives, John Bolden and Anthony Carreira, were charged in a federal court in Brooklyn for their roles in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program. Along with the detectives, two others, Jacqueline Johnson and Christian McKenzie, were also charged.

The defendants face serious consequences if convicted, with each potentially facing up to 30 years in prison.

“As alleged, the defendants, including members of law enforcement responsible for upholding the law, defrauded the United States government out of relief funds meant for businesses struggling to survive the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.

According to the charges, Det. John Bolden allegedly led the scheme, helping more than 65 people, including himself, his co-defendants and others, to submit false applications for PPP loans between May 2020 and October 2022. These applications contained fake information about businesses, such as exaggerated income and employment details, to secure loans they weren’t entitled to. Bolden allegedly created fake IRS forms to support these false claims.

The investigation revealed that Bolden and Carreira, who were involved in a tax preparation business, supposedly used their positions to defraud the government out of millions of dollars meant to support struggling businesses.

Johnson and McKenzie were also implicated, allegedly helping to refer people to the crooked cops and assist in submitting the false applications.