A Shelton man, Vincenzo Minutolo, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Court documents state that after the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020, which provided emergency financial assistance through programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Minutolo falsely applied for more than $145,000 in PPP loans on behalf of City Sounds Productions LLC. He overstated the company's yearly gross income, misrepresented previous loan applications, and submitted fraudulent IRS tax filings and payment vouchers that were never actually filed with the IRS. He also made false claims on forgiveness applications regarding compliance with PPP requirements.
The PPP program was managed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) but individual loans were processed and issued by private lenders who were guaranteed repayment by SBA.
Minutolo also defrauded the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) out of more than $140,000 between March 2020 and April 2021 by submitting fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applications using others’ names—including those of deceased individuals or people unaware their information was being used. One application was submitted under his grandfather's name despite his grandfather having died in 2014; Minutolo linked this application to a telephone number associated with himself and continued certifying weekly eligibility online to receive benefits.
Judge Dooley ordered Minutolo to pay $244,612 in restitution.
Minutolo pleaded guilty on February 28, 2025 to two counts of wire fraud. He had been released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing and is required to report to prison on January 22.
The case was investigated by both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser prosecuted the case.
Individuals who have information about COVID-19 related fraud are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a report via its web complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
