Two Israeli nationals have been sentenced to several years in US federal prison for separate fraud schemes involving millions of dollars.
Daniel Dadoun, 49, was sentenced to 41 months for fraudulently obtaining $3.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for his New Jersey-based businesses. Dadoun falsely applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by inflating employee numbers and payroll expenses between April 2020 and August 2022. He claimed to employ 400 workers and reported monthly payrolls of $850,000 to qualify for loans exceeding $2.1 million. Dadoun submitted fraudulent tax documents and altered bank statements to back his claims, later transferring the funds to accounts of another company he owned. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering and was ordered to pay restitution of over $3.2 million.
Meanwhile, Hava Yfrah-Austin, 58, was sentenced to 51 months after admitting to a $10 million fraud scheme involving two Miami companies where she worked as an accountant. Between 2018 and 2024, Yfrah-Austin manipulated accounting records by creating fictitious suppliers to funnel money from her employers into personal accounts. Her crimes came to light after a company owner discovered numerous illegitimate entries in the books. Yfrah-Austin was arrested in April 2025 at Miami Airport while attempting to flee to Israel, following the sale of her Florida assets. She was ordered to pay $9.2 million in damages and will serve three years of supervised release after her prison term.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to their crimes, which drew federal investigations and sentencing by US authorities.
