A Jacksonville man's fraudulent pandemic payday has landed him behind bars. Kenneth Steven Landers, 57, was slapped with a prison sentence of one year and one day for wire fraud and partaking in illegal monetary transactions involving COVID relief funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Landers, who orchestrated the scheme by applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of his multiple business entities, is also facing an order of forfeiture of $910,000—the total sum he illegally obtained.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Landers filed a staggering 10 loan applications requesting a collective $1.41 million in federal aid, supposedly to sustain payrolls and keep businesses afloat, but instead, he cashed in on seven approved applications and funneled the cash into his own pockets, using the loot on lavish personal expenses including luxury cars and high-end jewelry. In a detailed report obtained by the Justice Department, the fraudster spent the fraudulently acquired funds on paying off mortgages for a personal home and a business property, the purchase of an opulent 18-karat gold Rolex watch, and the acquisition of a vintage Jaguar XKE Roadster.
Acting Special Agent In Charge of the IRS-CI, Tara K. Reed, emphasized the gravity of Landers' misdeeds, saying, "The ripple effects of the COVID pandemic are still being felt throughout society today. Kenneth Steven Landers saw this global crisis as an opportunity to line his own pockets."
The government's role is to ensure that CARES Act funds are directed to those truly in need, aiding people to withstand the tempest brought forth by COVID-19. The case was investigated by the IRS-CI and prosecuted by a team of capable U.S. attorneys. Landers is now required to pay full restitution to his victims.
