Officials allege the fraud came from assistance offered by the Paycheck Protection Program, known as PPP, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, programs.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe said at a Thursday news conference the sworn law enforcement officers are accused of “diverting funds for their personal use,” and made clear it was not done in performance of their official duties. Collectively the 17 individuals took $495,171 from the loan programs. Many of those facing scrutiny had submitted paperwork for the most money possible under the program, a source said.
The point of the program was to “keep small businesses afloat,” Lapointe said. It also became a pot of “ready targets” for people looking to profit.The concern was “let’s get the money out there,” he said, before guardrails were in the place to prevent the economy from a crash.On Thursday morning, deputies in tactical gear were stationed at the front of the BSO headquarters building on West Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, traffic cones blocking traffic.