Florida man arrested for allegedly using COVID-19 small business aid money to buy Lamborghini

According to the DOJ’s statement, Hines lied on the loan applications and made inaccurate statements about the expenses of the companies, including the amount paid to employees.

“Those purported employees either did not exist or earned a fraction of what Hines claimed in his PPP applications,” U.S. Postal Inspector Bryan Masmela said in an affidavit, according to the Miami Herald. “Collectively, Hines falsely claimed his companies paid millions of dollars in payroll in the first quarter of 2020. State and bank records, however, show little to no payroll expense during this period.”

Authorities allege that Hines fraudulently applied for about $13.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for a few companies. PPP, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, was enacted on March 29 to provide small businesses with forgivable loans. Any money given to a company on behalf of the program is supposed to be used for rent or mortgage costs, employee salaries, and utilities.