A Stoughton man, Patrick Joseph, 42, has been sentenced to 138 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy and for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs. According to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office, Joseph's conviction followed his March 2024 guilty plea on charges including wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The investigation revealed that Joseph helped transport between 10 to 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and eventually to Massachusetts and Rhode Island through the U.S. Mail, starting from February 2020 to May 2021. The drugs were ingeniously concealed in household items like air fryers and cash boxes before being dispatched. This drug operation was part of a broader Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation to directly challenge and strategically dismantle high-level criminal operations.
Furthermore, Joseph was implicated in a scheme to illegally obtain over $220,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by submitting fraudulent applications. Joseph, along with a co-conspirator named Yves Montima, filed a total of 12 fake PPP loan applications across multiple financial institutions. These applications inaccurately claimed contractor income and were supported by falsified tax documents. Montima also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in September 2023. Joseph will also face five years of supervised release following his prison term, as part of his sentence handed down by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV.
This case underscores the efforts of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which was created to enhance the capability of the Department of Justice to fight against pandemic-related fraud. The task force has been vital in preventing fraud within relief programs and has been actively working to fully investigate those who attempt to exploit the pandemic for personal gain. The public has been urged to report any suspicions of COVID-19 fraud by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline or submitting a complaint through their online platform.
This sentencing is a clear message to those considering abusing government-provided relief efforts, such as the resources made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, that fraud of this scope is taken seriously. It’s a reminder that the justice system is thoroughly watching, and the collaboration between various agencies can effectively bring to light intricate schemes meant to divert funds meant for struggling businesses and individuals during times of crisis.
