Broward Sheriff’s Office Ex-Cops Convicted…
BY: 24/7 CRIME DESK | BocaNewsNow.com
BROWARD COUNTY, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Two former Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies are facing federal prison time after being convicted of COVID-relief fraud. The United States Department of Justice provided BocaNewsNow.com with this announcement:
A federal jury in Miami convicted Tracy Wade, 51 and Carolyn Wade, 49, both former deputy sheriffs with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA), and making false statements to the SBA, all in connection with obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans based on false information.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2021, Tracy and Carolyn Wade applied for and received PPP loans for phony sole proprietor businesses using falsified Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms submitted with each application. The Wades also applied for and received forgiveness of their fraudulently obtained PPP loans based upon additional falsehoods, which included falsely representing to the SBA that they had spent their loan proceeds on payroll. During the commission of the offenses, Tracy and Carolyn Wade were employed as deputy sheriffs in BSO’s Department of Detention.
A sentencing date has not yet been set by the court. The maximum sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison; the maximum sentence for each wire fraud conviction is 20 years in prison; the maximum sentence for conspiracy to make false statements to the SBA is 5 years in prison; the maximum sentence for each conviction of making false statements to the SBA is 2 years in prison. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); and BSO Sheriff Gregory Tony made the announcement.
FBI Miami, FRB-OIG, and BSO investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Snider and Adam Love prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
