Samuel Harris, a 43-year-old former Miami-Dade police officer, confessed in federal court on Monday to fraudulently obtaining approximately $285,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Harris faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for September 25th.

Court documents reveal that Harris submitted a falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application in June 2020, claiming his company, Oregen Digital Inc., had 10 employees and a monthly payroll exceeding $50,000. This deceit allowed him to secure a forgivable loan of $125,579.

Furthermore, Harris submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the Small Business Administration. In this application, he falsely stated that Oregen Digital Inc. had annual gross revenues of over $859,000 and employed 10 individuals. As a result, he received a $10,000 grant and an additional $149,900 in loan proceeds.

The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the 2020 coronavirus relief package, offered forgivable loans to struggling small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds were designated for essential expenses such as employee wages, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. Similarly, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program aims to provide financial assistance to small businesses facing temporary revenue loss.