Coffee County man sentenced, ordered to pay over back $1M in COVID-19 fraud

COFFEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - A Coffee County man is now facing jail time and repaying over $1 million after his involvement in COVID-19 pandemic fraud funds.

Kyle Waldron, 59, of Douglas, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering, according to the Department of Justice. He will serve three years of supervised release.

A judge also ordered Waldron to pay $1,371,219 in restitution in relation to his use of frauding business out of COVID-19 funds.

According to court documents and investigation information, Waldron submitted at least 20 different applications for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on behalf of several businesses and people. These applications included claiming many employees worked for companies when they did not.

Those applications resulted in payouts of more than $1.3 million. $326,461 was recovered by federal agents from Waldron’s bank accounts.

“Waldron believed that he could commit fraud and steal money designated to help businesses struggling to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said J. Craig Reno, Resident Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Savannah Resident Office. “This sentence should serve as a warning to potential thieves that they will be caught and prosecuted. As part of our dual protective and investigative mission, we are tasked with safeguarding the United States’ financial and payment systems from criminal exploitation. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating cases of fraud and we work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims of financial crime across the country.”

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