State Rep. Joe Harding has been indicted on fraud charges after allegedly swindling more than $150,000 in Covid relief loans from the Small Business Administration.
The Florida lawmaker, who is also responsible for the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, is being accused of making false statements in order to obtain a seizable amount of loans between December 2020 and March 2021.
According to CNN, he is facing two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with funds that derived from criminal activity, two counts of making false statements pertaining to his income, and two counts of wire fraud. On top of allegedly fabricating his bank statements, Joe is also accused of lying about the number of people who he had employed, as well as as listing “dormant business entities.”
His trial has been set for January 11 in Gainesville, Florida, and if convicted of his charges, Joe could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years behind bars, while falsifying statements and money laundering would result to an additional five to 10 years, respectively. Joe has pleaded not guilty to his charges.
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