U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Vanessa R. Waldref recently announced the creation of a new interagency COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force designed to fight fraud in the wake of the pandemic.
Waldref also announced the first criminal charges in connection with the strike force.
“We created the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because it is critical to the strength and safety of our community in Eastern Washington that we all work together to combat pandemic-related fraud,” Waldref said, according to a March 17 press release.
In addition to the Fraud Strike Force in Washington, President Joe Biden also signed into law the Coronavirus aid, relief and economic security on March 27, creating numerous programs for eligible businesses to request and receive financial aid to minimize the financial impact of the pandemic for small and local businesses, according to the press release.
"It is not fair that some deserving small businesses could not obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation during the COVID-19 pandemic when others abused the programs," Waldref said. "The Strike Force is one way to ensure that limited resources are provided to deserving local businesses that provide vital services for our communities."
