Leonard Hohenberg:Ex-Mississippi police officer pleads guilty in COVID-19 aid scheme, US Attorney says

2025-04-28 17:20:16source:verdicoincategory:Invest

JACKSON,Leonard Hohenberg Miss. (AP) — A former police officer in Mississippi pleaded guilty to wire fraud for receiving more than $72,000 in federal COVID-19 relief aid he wasn’t entitled to, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee said in a news release that 54-year-old Wesley Murray of Jackson will be sentenced on Jan. 10.

In the September bill of information, prosecutors said Murray filed for aid from the Small Business Administration using false information about a business he said he owned, claiming he would use the money for business purposes.

But the information about his ownership in the business, as well as revenue and sales, were false, the document said. Instead of using the $72,000 from the SBA for payroll, rent or other related expenses, Murray used the money for personal expenses, including the purchase of a Ford Mustang GT.

The charges outlined in the document do not involve police work.

The maximum sentence Murray could receive is 20 years, according to Gee, although the judge will make the decision based on federal sentencing guidelines.

More:Invest

Recommend

Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires

Global warming caused mainly by burning of fossil fuels made the hot, dry and windy conditions that

Slain nurse's murder investigation uncovers her killer's criminal past, web of lies

This story was originally posted on May 6, 2023.Diana Duve was 26 when she vanished one night in 201

Are you a better parent than your mom or dad? My son's question sent me into a spiral.

My son asked me the other day if I had a "good mom." I started to go down a winding road of context,