Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Brockton resident was charged in federal court in Boston on April 10 with wire fraud after allegedly obtaining multiple COVID-19 relief benefits through fraudulent means.
According to the indictment, Jesus Abreu, 38, who worked as a Food Service Worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs from November 2021 until March 2022, faces three counts of wire fraud. The charges allege that in July 2020, Abreu submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and received $32,400 by making false claims about gross revenues. In April 2021, he is accused of submitting two applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans using false claims about income from a sole proprietorship and attaching fraudulent tax documents. These loan applications were approved and resulted in $41,666 being disbursed to Abreu.
Prosecutors say that Abreu used the PPP funds for personal expenses. Later in September 2021, he allegedly submitted loan forgiveness applications falsely claiming all funds had been spent on payroll. As a result of these misrepresentations, the loans were forgiven.
The charge of wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss involved. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges along with Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office and Kelly M. Lawson from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration Boston Regional Office. The Norwood Police Department provided assistance during the investigation.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced it has created a National Fraud Enforcement Division aimed at investigating and prosecuting those who misuse taxpayer dollars within federal benefit programs as part of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Officials emphasized that all details contained in charging documents are allegations at this stage; Abreu is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
