Ohio man sentenced to over five years for COVID-19 relief fraud

OHIO — A Cincinnati man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Joseph Lentine III, 55, was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins for his role in the scheme, which involved fraudulent loan applications and misuse of pandemic relief funds.

According to court documents, Lentine prepared and submitted more than 20 fraudulent loan applications, seeking over $3 million in relief funds.

He ultimately obtained $1.5 million, controlling a significant portion of the proceeds.

Prosecutors say he knowingly made false statements to secure funds through Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs and also fraudulently applied for unemployment and emergency rental assistance.

Lentine personally received more than $450,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds, which he used to purchase a yacht and a Mercedes Benz.

As part of his sentence, Lentine must pay $1.2 million in restitution to the SBA and nearly $33,000 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Lentine pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to commit bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan or credit application.

The case was announced by Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo prosecuted the case.