The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has announced that Robert Crust, 46, formerly from Greeley, Colorado, and Bethany Williams, 44, from Parker, Colorado, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Colorado. Crust faces charges including five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. Williams is charged with two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to the indictment, Crust and Williams are accused of participating in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and lenders to obtain emergency COVID-19 relief funds. The indictment alleges that Crust submitted loan applications containing material misrepresentations on behalf of three businesses he owned or managed. He allegedly provided fabricated documents such as tax forms and payroll reports to inflate employee numbers falsely. Williams is also accused of making false statements in connection with two loan applications for one business. Collectively, these businesses reportedly received nearly $1 million in loans.
Despite claims that the funds would be used for legitimate business expenses, it is alleged that Crust and Williams used them for personal expenses like travel and hotel stays in Las Vegas. Additionally, Crust purportedly purchased vehicles including a 2012 BMW X5, a Jaguar E-PACE, and a boat using loan proceeds.
Williams appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung on May 20, 2025. On May 21, 2025, Crust was arrested in Tampa, Florida and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Natalie Hirt Adams the following day.
The charges are allegations at this stage; both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office is conducting the investigation while Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore O’Brien and Craig Fansler handle prosecution.
Information regarding attempted fraud related to COVID-19 can be reported through the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via their online complaint form.
Case Number: 1:25-cr-00133-NYW
