The Justice Department charged multiple individuals who allegedly filed fraudulent applications seeking millions of dollars in coronavirus relief, including a National Football League player.
The criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida charged 31-year-old Joshua Bellamy, a former player with the New York Jets who was placed on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List in May, with a string of crimes, including wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit both criminal acts.
Bellamy, according to the complaint, used falsified documents to obtain a $1.2 million loan for his talent managing company, Drip Entertainment, but used approximately $104,000 of the money for “luxury goods” at Dior, Gucci, and jewelry stores. It alleges he also used over $62,700 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, while seeking loans from the Paycheck Protection Program for his family and close confidants.
Altogether, the scheme amounted to 90 fraudulent applications and loans totaling $24 million, according to the DOJ. Most of the applications were approved, which led to the payout of $17.4 million in loans. The DOJ previously unsealed complaints against the 10 defendants allegedly involved in the scheme, many of whom were charged with the same crimes.
Bellamy was arrested on Thursday morning and scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Tuite in Florida later in the day.
“A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the complaint adds.
