Visalia construction company CEO, Joey Wayne Mackey, has been arrested on charges of fraudulently obtaining over $4 million in COVID-19 relief funds, as announced by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. Court documents reveal that Mackey submitted falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications between April and June 2020 for three companies under his control – Forcum-Mackey Construction Inc., JWM Inc., and Mack Aviation LLC – which led to the illegal disbursement of funds due to inflated employee numbers and payroll costs.
The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed the money trail, showing that Mackey laundered the PPP loan funds through fake payroll payments to relatives, including minor children, whom he controlled the accounts of. In a calculated move, the funds were then used to purchase and profit from various real estate properties and luxury items, continuing the buying spree well into 2023. Mackey's arrest is part of a larger effort by the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force to crack down on pandemic-related financial crimes.
If convicted, the consequences are steep for Mackey, with a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. Yet even as the legal process unfolds, it is paramount to remember that these are allegations, and like anyone else charged with a crime, Mackey is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
This case emerges from a collaborative probe involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General – per the U.S. Attorney's announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Lee and Kevin Khasigian are tasked with prosecuting the offenses, underlining the serious nature of the allegations and the committed response from federal law enforcement agencies.
