SPOKANE, WA — Antonio Feliciano Crawford, 55, of Mead, Washington, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for charges of bank fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced today.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed five years of supervised release, restitution of $203,347.08, and the forfeiture of $173,329 in cash seized from Crawford’s home during the investigation.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Crawford used fraudulent information to submit false applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program between 2020 and 2021. Crawford applied for funds on behalf of four companies he falsely claimed to own and operate, including Tann LLC, Crawford Entertainment, A&M Personal Training LLC, and a sole proprietorship under the name “Antonio Crawford.”
By submitting fake tax returns and other doctored documents, Crawford secured at least $186,971 in funds he was not entitled to. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also revealed that Crawford was involved in facilitating the submission of fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications for others. Investigators discovered 24 additional fraudulent payments totaling $565,808.33.
Further investigation found that Crawford had received over $20,000 in payments from individuals who obtained fraudulent funds through his assistance. In total, his fraudulent activities caused a loss of over $750,000 to the PPP and EIDL programs, which were designed to assist businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vanessa R. Waldref, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, emphasized the importance of combating fraud and protecting those who abide by the rules. She highlighted that Crawford exploited these relief programs for personal gain, using the funds to enrich himself and others.
