The Justice Department is forming three COVID-19 Strike Force Teams to enhance the department's fraud-related COVID-19 prevention and detection work.
According to a Sept. 14 Department of Justice news release, the Southern District of Florida, the District of Maryland and a collaboration between the Eastern and Central Districts of California will serve as the center of operations for the strike force teams.
“These strike force teams will build on the department’s historic enforcement efforts to deter, detect and disrupt pandemic fraud wherever it occurs," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the release. "Since the start of this pandemic, the Justice Department has seized over $1.2 billion in relief funds that criminals were attempting to steal and charged over 1,500 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country, but our work is far from over. The Department will continue to work relentlessly to combat pandemic fraud and hold accountable those who perpetrate it.”
“The Strike Force Teams are the latest example of the Justice Department’s commitment to fight pandemic fraud," Associate Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers said in the release. "The work being done by our prosecutors, trial attorneys, agents and partners on our COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force has been extraordinary. We’re going a step further today with the announcement of strike force teams to support, enhance and continue the great work being done across the department.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California is proud to be included as a part of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force," U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in the release. "We have had early successes pursuing COVID-19 fraud both civilly and criminally. For example, our district obtained the first civil settlement in the nation for fraud related to the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program, and we have brought a number of criminal prosecutions against defendants who obtained through fraud relief monies intended to help those in need. We remain committed to leading investigations and vigorously prosecuting those who commit COVID-19 fraud.”
