WHEATLAND, Calif. (U.S. Attorney’s Office) — Jason Toland, 44, of Wheatland, has been sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison for attempting to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds. U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd also ordered Toland to pay $2,078,462 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Toland’s fraudulent activities aimed to secure over $13.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds, including the Employee Retention Credit and COVID Sick and Family Leave Credit. He used shell companies with no legitimate business activity to submit fraudulent tax returns to the IRS and sought over $11 million in refunds.
In addition, between 2020 and 2023, Toland fraudulently applied for more than $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, which were designed to assist real businesses affected by the pandemic.
While Toland sought over $13.4 million in relief, he was able to secure more than $1.95 million, which he used for personal enrichment, including luxury purchases.
“Toland’s actions exploited relief programs meant to help legitimate businesses and individuals recover during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who seek to defraud these vital programs.”
