Miami-Dade Employee Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Relief Fraud: DOJ

MIAMI, FL — A Miami-Dade County employee pled guilty in Miami federal court Tuesday to COVID-19 relief fraud.

Willie Curry, 58, was charged with wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a low-interest COVID-19 relief loan during the pandemic, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

In 2019 and 2020, Curry was a full-time network manager for the county and continued receiving his regular salary during the pandemic, the DOJ said.

Despite this, he submitted an application to the SBA for COVID-19 relief June 24, 2020. In his application, he said he was the owner of a sole proprietorship operating under the name Will Curry Computers.

In his application, he falsely stated that Will Curry Computers was established Jan. 1, 2015, and that during the 12-month period prior to Jan. 31, 2020, the company had gross revenues of approximately $755,416, a cost of goods sold of approximately $170,664 and 10 employees, the DOJ said.

In reality, Curry only established Will Curry Computers in 2020. It had only minimal gross revenues and cost of goods sold during the 12-month period prior to Jan. 31, 2020, and it had no employees, the DOJ said.

Based on his false and fraudulent application, the SBA disbursed a $10,000 advance and then $150,000 in loan proceeds to Curry’s listed financial institution. The financial institution instead returned the money to the SBA, and after Curry was notified of this, he made numerous contacts to the SBA in an unsuccessful attempt to have the money sent to an account at another bank. Ultimately, his fraudulent efforts were uncovered by law enforcement, the DOJ said.

Curry is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 17, 2021. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.