A former Florida church pastor who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the U.S. government could face decades in prison if convicted.
Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Allegedly Marcus Eichelberger conspired with another unnamed individual to “fraudulently complete and submit applications” for Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
The PPP was a US government program designed to protect small businesses from economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the loan application, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida says Eichelberger and his partner testified that the loan would be used to maintain payroll and meet alleged business expenses, but that ultimately did not turn out to be the case.
“After approving the loans, Eichelberger and the other individual allegedly retained the proceeds for their personal use and not for any legitimate PPP purpose.”
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Eichelberger and his alleged accomplice later sought forgiveness of the loans. The US government incurred a loss estimated at $50,000 as a result.
The former church pastor now faces four counts of wire fraud in connection with loans he allegedly obtained fraudulently, for which he has asked to be pardoned.
If convicted, Eichelberger faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
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