By WILLIAM MOORE Daily Journal
OXFORD — A 63-year-old man from Caledonia, Herman Nash, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after stealing $800,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. Nash was found guilty of fraudulently applying for three separate Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) using false business information.
Nash submitted loan applications claiming to operate a business that generated $455,000 in gross revenues, but investigators discovered the business was fictitious. Despite the claims, Nash was approved for a total of $800,000 in loan funds, which he was not entitled to. The fraudulent loans were part of the larger scheme to exploit the federal assistance program designed to help businesses during the pandemic.
Federal authorities have stressed the seriousness of pandemic relief fraud, with penalties serving as a reminder that criminal activity during such a critical time will be met with severe consequences. Nash will serve his sentence in a federal prison, with additional restitution likely pending as part of the judgment.