A businessman buys an island in Florida for R$40 million stolen from Covid money

Businessman Patrick Parker Walsh, from the US state of Florida, bought an island using, as part of the payment, the equivalent of R$40 million stolen from federal coronavirus relief funds. For this crime, he was sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison.

Sweetheart Island, which the businessman bought, is located in Yankee Town, Florida. The land area is more than 8 thousand square meters. Information from the newspaper the world.

Patrick Walsh was the owner of AirSign, an aerial advertising company. In 2020, during the epidemic, the company entered a critical scenario. The businessman then submitted dozens of fraudulent applications for emergency aid to the US government.

According to the US Department of Justice, the businessman received US$7.8 million between March 2020 and January 2021. Prosecutors in the case cited the purchase of Sweetheart Island, undisclosed “luxury goods,” Texas oil fields, and a down payment on a home. (Jackson Hole, Wyoming).

In a lawsuit, Walsh’s lawyers said the businessman was driven by desperation. The AirSign owner pleaded guilty in January of this year and was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. Moreover, he will have to sell the island and return the stolen amount.

Source: Redacao Terra