Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
A former resident of Pace, Florida, Sean Eric Thompson, 44, has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges related to COVID-19 relief and bankruptcy fraud. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Thompson admitted guilt to five counts of wire fraud, three counts of making false statements, six counts of money laundering, and three counts of bankruptcy fraud. The charges stem from a scheme involving fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and false filings with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, in May 2021 Thompson was a partial owner of a business that operated a brewery and restaurant. He electronically submitted an application for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), created to support food service businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his application and supporting documents, Thompson falsely claimed his business had suffered $1,128,233 in pandemic-related losses. On May 25, 2021, the SBA deposited that amount into an account controlled by Thompson.
Investigators found that Thompson used much of these funds for personal expenses rather than business purposes. Between August and November 2021, he transferred $150,000 from the RRF funds into his personal investment account.
In August 2023, Thompson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy but failed to disclose both the RRF funds and his interest in another business on official forms. During a September 2023 creditors' meeting connected to his bankruptcy proceeding, he gave false testimony under oath about his financial situation and assets. Further fraudulent activity included submitting altered financial statements to the trustee managing his bankruptcy estate in February 2024.
Thompson could face up to 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release for each wire fraud count; up to five years in prison and one year supervised release for each false statement count; up to ten years imprisonment and three years supervised release for each money laundering count; and up to five years imprisonment with three years supervised release on each bankruptcy fraud count at sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “My office is hard at work with our federal law enforcement partners to track down and prosecute every single instance of fraud against the U.S. Government during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes and will use every available means to recover the U.S. taxpayer monies stolen by the fraudsters to enrich themselves.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and SBA jointly investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch is prosecuting.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices nationwide responsible for litigating on behalf of the federal government under direction from the Attorney General. More information can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html or through public court records available online via U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.
