PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – A former Phoenix police officer faces federal fraud charges after investigators say she filed a fake loan application and received more than $ 1.2 million in government loans.
Toni Richardson, who was a Phoenix police officer at the time, is charged with filing a fake paycheck protection program loan application at a bank and using the money to fund personal expenses and transferring to various accounts. The loan was originally intended to help companies struggling with the aftermath of COVID-19.
Richardson and another man, Willie Mitchell, used a bogus social club to file the application, which according to the federal indictment contained false employment and salary figures. Officials say the company had no payroll or employees. Richardson and Mitchell said the loan would be used to “hold workers, maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments and utility payments.”
The loan was then deposited into the account and the two of them created a fake payroll to be eligible for the loan. Richardson and Mitchell withdrew more than $ 15,000 from their loan account several times between March and June.
Phoenix police said that upon learning of the allegations, they began firing Richardson. However, she resigned before that happened, officials said. Richardson and Mitchell are charged with conspiracy, bank fraud and transactional money laundering.
Copyright 2021 KPHO / KTVK (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.
[ad_2]
