Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
Conrad Brandon Bernard, 24, has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison following his conviction for bank fraud and identity theft. Bernard's actions led to the fraudulent acquisition of over $1 million through COVID-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to support small businesses and eligible entities. Similarly, unemployment insurance programs were set up by the U.S. Department of Labor to assist workers who became unemployed without fault. Bernard exploited these programs between May 2020 and December 2022 by applying for fourteen EIDLs using stolen identities. Once approved by the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), funds were directed into various accounts under Bernard's control.
In addition to loan fraud, Bernard also acquired unemployment benefits from multiple states using false identities. This resulted in a total fraudulent gain of $1,083,340 from both EIDL funds and unemployment benefits.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Bernard possessed counterfeit identification documents and had access to personal information of thousands of individuals. The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service Miami Field Office and Broward Sheriff's Office.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Conklin of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deric Zacca and Suzanne Nebesky are prosecuting the case with asset forfeiture managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman.
The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force was created on May 17, 2021, to combat pandemic-related fraud with a coordinated effort across government agencies. On September 15, 2022, a Strike Force Team led by the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office was formed as part of this initiative to tackle large-scale pandemic relief fraud.
Reports of attempted COVID-19 fraud can be made through the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or their web complaint form.
Further details can be accessed on official websites related to this case under case number 24-cr-60168.
