BROOKLYN, NY — Former NYPD detective John Bolden was sentenced to 48 months in prison Wednesday on a wire fraud conspiracy charge that stemmed from an effort to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), prosecutors said.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said Valley Stream resident John Bolden was sentenced to the jail time and ordered to pay a $303,138 restitution on top of a $112,002 forfeiture after pleading guilty to his charge on Feb. 18.
According to prosecutors, Bolden was an NYPD detective in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began and the PPP came into existence. At this time, prosecutors said, he was also the owner of a tax preparation business.
The prosecution said that between May of 2020 and October of 2022, Bolden worked with his tax preparation clients to “fraudulently obtain PPP funds,” submitting online loan applications “containing false and fraudulent information” on behalf of over 65 people.
Among the people whose names appeared on the loan applications was Anthony Carreira, himself a former NYPD detective, and Bolden’s cousin, Christian McKenzie, prosectuors said. According to the prosecution, Carreira knowingly submitted false documents to get PPP funds, while McKenzie fraudulently obtained PPP funds and directed others to Bolden in exchange for additional PPP money.
“As part of the scheme, Bolden prepared fictitious Internal Revenue Service Form Schedule C documentation, which accompanied the loan applications and contained false information about his, his co-defendants’ and his clients’ places of employment, gross income and net income,” Prosecutors said. “Bolden sought to steal nearly $3 million from the PPP, and succeeded in stealing at least several hundred thousand dollars.”
“Despite being a police officer sworn to uphold the law, the defendant organized a scheme that enabled dozens of individuals, including clients, family members and NYPD co-workers, to obtain millions in federal funds using fictitious tax records,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella said. “Bolden brazenly took advantage of a COVID relief program created to help struggling businesses survive an unprecedented national crisis. The sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of that misconduct and our Office’s commitment to prosecute fraud related to the pandemic.”
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