
A Broward County man has been sentenced to over five years in prison for running a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice, Willie F. Murray, Jr., 55, hailing from West Park, was handed down a sentence by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, with additional orders to forfeit a substantial sum totaling over $5.6 million and various properties.
The false pretense under which Murray operated was through Lab Tess, LLC, a company he used as a front to submit claims for COVID-19 testing services that never actually took place, he exploited the vulnerability of the uninsured and the chaos of a nation grappling with an unprecedented public health emergency—submitting over 126,000 fraudulent claims and subsequently using the ill-gotten funds to purchase several real estate properties within Florida. The investigation, spearheaded by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, revealed the depth of Murray's deception as he utilized personal information from various individuals including the incarcerated, the deceased, and those purportedly tested in homeless shelters and electrical substations.
The consequences for Murray's actions are not simply a term in federal prison but also encompass the forfeiture of grand sums of money from both currency and bank accounts and properties situated in Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale, Belle Glade, Hollywood, and South Bay, Florida. This case does not stand in isolation; it is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to crack down on fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they encourage the public to report any related fraudulent activities to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) through their hotline or web complaint form.