A federal jury convicted a Colorado physician on Friday for misappropriating approximately $250,000 from two COVID-19 relief programs, officials stated.
According to evidence presented at trial, Dr. Francis F. Joseph, 57, of Highlands Ranch, received government funds for COVID-19 relief from the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program and the Paycheck Protection Program.
Each program was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to medical providers and small businesses that were suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In all, Joseph received approximately $250,000 from these funds and fraudulently used the money to pay for his expenses, not in accordance with the terms of the relief programs.
Joseph was convicted in federal court in Colorado of theft concerning healthcare and wire fraud. The jury acquitted Joseph of stealing government property related to a separate Covid relief payment. He is facing up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section has also seized more than $80 million in cash proceeds derived from CARES Act-related fraud schemes, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.