A Florida man has been charged with obtaining $3.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans and using it to buy a sports car and other luxury items in Miami Beach, KTLA sister station WFLA in Tampa reported Monday.
A criminal complaint was made against 29-year-old David T. Hines of Miami, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. The complaint alleges that Hines sought approximately $13.5 million in PPP loans on behalf of different companies and made numerous false statements to do so.
Hines was approved and awarded $3.9 million in loans.
The complaint further alleges that within days of receiving his PPP funds, Hines purchased a 2020 Lamborghini Huracan sports car for approximately $318,000.
He registered the car “jointly in his name and the name of one of his companies, the release stated.
The 29-year-old is also accused of not making the payroll payments he claimed on his loan applications, instead allegedly using the money to make purchases at local luxury stores and resorts.
Authorities seized the Lamborghini and $3.4 million from various bank accounts upon Hines’ arrest.
He was charged with one count of bank fraud, one count of making false statements to a financial institution and one count of engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds, according to the DOJ.
PPP funding is one source of relief provided by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which authorized up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. An additional $300 billion toward PPP was later authorized by Congress.
The funds are intended for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, the release said.
