United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy | U.S. Department of Justice
A Boston man has been sentenced for fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Robert Platt Jr., 45, received a sentence of time served, which equates to one day, followed by two years of supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun also ordered Platt to pay $20,833 in restitution and forfeiture.
Platt pleaded guilty in September 2024 to charges of wire fraud and making false statements. He was arrested in February 2024 alongside over 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang, who faced charges related to racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and financial frauds including COVID-related fraud.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act created the PPP as a temporary loan program aimed at small businesses. Loans were processed by participating lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration with potential forgiveness if used for eligible expenses.
In April 2021, Platt submitted a fraudulent loan application under a fictitious construction business. The application included false information about income in 2019 and intended use of funds. False tax records were also submitted to support his claim. Consequently, Platt obtained approximately $20,833 which he used for personal expenses such as transactions at Encore Boston Harbor Casino.
The case announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Jonathan Mellone from the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General; and Jonathan Wlodyka from IRS Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation that targets high-level criminal organizations using a multi-agency approach led by prosecutors.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to enhance efforts against pandemic-related fraud through collaboration across government agencies.
For reporting attempted COVID-19 fraud, contact can be made via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or their web complaint form.
