NEW JERSEY – Morton Chirnomas, a 62-year-old attorney from Clifton, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba on June 9 and took place in Camden federal court.
Chirnomas pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn. In addition to the prison term, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
According to prosecutors, between May and September 2020, Chirnomas exploited federal pandemic relief programs for personal gain. He fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. He also secured roughly $200,000 in unemployment benefits by using stolen identities, without the knowledge or consent of the individuals involved.
The case was investigated by federal authorities including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark led the prosecution. The case was part of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to target large-scale pandemic relief fraud through coordinated enforcement.
