The Great Grift: COVID-19 aid thieves bought fancy cars, a Pokemon card — even a private island

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

 

...

It may have seemed like an ideal getaway for Florida businessman Patrick Parker Walsh. Instead, he’s serving five and half years in federal prison for stealing nearly $8 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds that he used, in part, to buy Sweetheart Island.

 

While Walsh’s private island ranks among the more unusual purchases by pandemic fraudsters, his crime was not unique. He is one of thousands of thieves who perpetrated the greatest grift in U.S. history. They potentially plundered more than $280 billion in federal COVID-19 aid; another $123 billion was wasted or misspent.

 

The loss represents close to 10% of the $4.3 trillion the U.S. government has disbursed to mitigate the economic devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

 

(more)

 

https://apnews.com/article/pandemic-fraud-grift-millions-private-island-a005ecfc3226f4ea501eb952c8ec1a8f

 

 

 

[save the frogs]

11 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

$4.3 trillion the U.S. government has disbursed

 

exactly. the US govt gave people FREE money for sitting at home playing video games all day. 

 

ie people didn't need to SLAVE AWAY in the 9 to 5 grind during that period. 

 

absolute BLISS not having to slave away at a 9 to 5 grind and getting free money.

 

maybe humanity will one day finally be liberated from the shackles of 9 to 5 drudgery and mostly meaningless jobs for once and for all.

 

all thanks to covid!

 

and .... how do you know who bought what with what? the article claims = means nothing 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by save the frogs

[Eleftheros]

13 hours ago, save the frogs said:

the article claims = means nothing 

Except the figure of 10% has emerged previously in this kind of situation - at least that percentage of money earmarked for climate change mitigation is lost due to fraud. Organized crime groups sold billions of dollars' worth of fake 'carbon credits' and corporations and even private individuals get in on the act.

 

It makes sense. When governments throw ludicrous sums of money around on vague and ill-defined schemes which do no good but make them personally feel better, it is like a veritable smörgåsbord laid out for opportunistic criminals. It's like strewing dollar bills all over the pavement and asking people not to pick them up.

[impulse]

A little math here:  If $280 billion was plundered, and this guy's $8 million is typical, they only need to go after another 34,999 cheaters.

 

According to the linked US Attorney's Office blurb, he filed 16 false applications. 

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by stats
off topic diversion comment removed

[Amethyst]

A pair of off-topic posts sure to derail and divert this thread from its actual topic have been removed. This thread is NOT about Donald Trump.