Bridgeport man one of five federally charged with COVID fraud

WHEELING, W.Va (WDTV) - A Bridgeport man is one of five West Virginians charged with COVID-19 fraud.

The indictments were returned on Tuesday, and United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld said charges have been filed against those alleged to have improperly benefitted from funds appropriated by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of those five charged is 51-year-old James A. Nolte, of Bridgeport. He has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering.

Nolte is charged with submitting false tax documents, payroll reports, and business records in order to obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans, according to Ihlenfeld.

The indictment alleges that Nolte improperly secured loans for PGO Veteran Services, PG Health, RJS Catering, and Dental Care Plus, for total fraud in the amount of $645,717.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to combatting pandemic fraud and these charges are just the first of many that we will bring,” said United States Attorney Ihlenfeld. “We have a team of highly skilled prosecutors, investigators, and accountants who work on COVID-related cases every day to identify all those who used deception to steal public funds.”

The following are the other four West Virginians that have been federally charged:

• 27-year-old Dalton Haas, of Wheeling
  • Haas is alleged to have made false representations regarding organizations with which he was affiliated in order to obtain CARES Act funding. Haas is charged with making false statements about the gross revenues, the cost of goods sold, and the number of employees for the Lebanese Restaurant & Bakery, the Wheeling Wine Festival, the West Virginia Hockey League, and the Wheeling Hockey Association.
• 47-year-old Shawn Murphy, of Moundsville
  • Murphy is alleged to have applied for and received unemployment compensation through the CARES Act even though he was still gainfully employed as a machine operator at businesses in Marshall County.
• 27-year-old David Boyd, of Chester
  • Boyd is charged with submitting false information in support of his application for PPP funding, including misrepresenting the gross income of a business known as the Seafood Hut. Boyd is also charged with lying to an FBI agent about his loans.
• 49-year-old Jodi Headley, of Chester
  • Headley is alleged to have applied for and receiving unemployment benefits despite being employed by Hancock County schools.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the cases.

The matters were investigated by the FBI and WorkForce West Virginia.

Ihlenfeld encouraged anyone aware of COVID fraud to report it by email, telephone at 304-234-0100, or by regular mail to the U.S. Attorney, P.O. Box 591, Wheeling, WV 26003, Attn: COVID Fraud Unit.

All those charged are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

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