Date: Jan. 17, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov A Kansas man pleaded guilty to using fraudulent means to obtain COVID-19 disaster relief money. According to court documents, Jack Crowder, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Crowder admits submitting an application and supporting documents containing false and misleading information to secure COVID-19 disaster relief payments totaling approximately $23,000. The United States Department of Labor, through the State of Kansas Department of Labor, dispersed the funds to Crowder in September 2022. Crowder is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2024, and faces a mandatory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS-Criminal Investigation, Kansas Department of Labor, and the Wichita Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Barnett and Ola Odeyemi are prosecuting the case.
