By Victor Omondi
According to recently released court filings, a pastor in Washington, D.C. allegedly made fraudulent applications to the Paycheck Protection Program for $3.5 million, received the loans, and used them to buy himself a Tesla, among a number of other personal purchases.
The PPP is a program introduced by the federal government to encourage revenue-losing businesses to keep their workers on payroll amid business closures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rudolph Brooks Jr. from Maryland and pastor at Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration used the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act to allegedly acquire a $1.5 million loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office released a statement indicating that Brooks used the loan funds for his own purposes instead, and not as indicated in the application documents.
Feds Say D C Pastor Bought Himself a Tesla After Fraudulently Obtaining $1 5 Million PPP Loan yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Pastor Faces 20 Years For Using $3.5 Million in COVID-19 Loans to Buy 39 Cars
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Pastor Rudolph Brooks Jr., founder and senior pastor of the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries in Washington, D.C., is facing up to 20 years in prison after he allegedly used $3.5 million in PPP loans to splurge on personal expenses, including 39 cars.
When making their arrest, the FBI seized over $2.2 million from 11 accounts, along with a Tesla Model 3. Additional car purchases include a 2005 Bentley Continental, a 2014 GMC Yukon XL, a 2015 Cadillac Escalade, two 2017 Infinity Q50s, and a 2017 Mercedes Benz S Class.
According to the Department of Justice, Brooks applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan on April 7, 2020, before applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans one month later. He allegedly submitted PPP loan applications for $1.5 million, $1.8 million, and $200,000 on behalf of his companies Cars Direct, Kingdom Tabernacle, and
A Washington D.C. pastor has been charged with wire fraud after obtaining a pandemic loan for an apparently defunct business and using the money to buy a Tesla, among other things that have now been confiscated.