A former Greeley man and a Parker woman have found themselves on the wrong side of the law after a federal grand jury in Colorado indicted them for allegedly scamming COVID-19 relief programs, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. Robert Crust, 46, and Bethany Williams, 44, face multiple charges of wire fraud and money laundering, accusations rooted in what authorities say was a deceptive ploy to line their pockets with emergency aid intended to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic.
Details from the indictment allege that Crust, who managed three Colorado businesses, and Williams committed fraudulent acts to lay claim to almost $1 million in loans, these funds ostensibly meant for maintaining operations and supporting employees, instead, they allegedly channeled these emergency funds into personal extravagances, including vacations and luxury vehicles, Crust going so far as to purchase a 2012 BMW X5, a Jaguar E-PACE, and a boat. According to the indictment obtained from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Crust engineered loan applications with falsified documents to overstate employee numbers and payroll figures, while Williams allegedly made false statements in connection with two loan applications.
Williams presented herself to U.S. Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung on May 20, following with Crust's arrest in Tampa, Florida, a day later, before he appeared in court as well, both now await the justice system's determination of their innocence or guilt, a process predicated on the fundamental presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. The IRS Criminal Investigation's Denver Field Office takes credit for unveiling this purported scheme, with Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore O'Brien and Craig Fansler leading the charge.
