U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs | U.S. Department of Justice
Troy Benjamin Bittner, a 55-year-old resident of Myrtle Beach, has been sentenced to over three years in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
The investigation revealed that between November 2020 and December 2021, while employed as a general manager at the Carolina Pines RV Resort in Conway during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bittner generated unauthorized customer refunds amounting to $828,516.00. These refunds were for completed reservations and were wired into his personal bank accounts. Additionally, Bittner stole cash from the resort's point-of-sale system by documenting it as refunds. In both 2020 and 2021, he filed IRS Form 1040 with significantly understated income, leading to a total tax loss of $281,727.00.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson III sentenced Bittner to 37 months in prison followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $1,219,894.72.
In response to such fraudulent activities during the pandemic, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17, 2021. The task force aims to combat pandemic-related fraud through collaboration across government agencies.
Individuals with information about attempted COVID-19 fraud can report it via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or through their online complaint form.
The case was investigated by several agencies including the United States Secret Service and FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting this case.
