Woman undergoes surgery and buys Cadillac with millions from COVID-19 in Miami

Miami. A Miami woman was sentenced to 70 months in prison for nearly cheating Two million dollars for federal aid programsThe money he spent on casinos, luxury cars and cosmetic surgery, the Southern District of Florida Prosecutor’s Office reported Wednesday.

Maritza Morales Hermoso, 58 years oldLenders and the government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) have been defrauded by providing false documents and “inflated employee numbers” to federal aid programs set up because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between April 2020 and April 2021, Hermoso applied for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on behalf of “multiple companies,” even though “many of those companies did not have payroll and were not actively doing business at the time of application.” Applications were submitted.According to a statement from the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

Sentencing He spent the fraudulent loan proceeds, which amounted to about $2 million, “on a South Florida casino and other personal expenses, such as cosmetic surgery, a Cadillac Escalade pickup truck and a Pomeranian puppy.”Note added.

Hermoso hid the embezzlement through multiple unrelated business accounts that allowed him to withdraw the cash.

In December 2023, Hermoso’s accomplice, Javier Lazo Cabrera, pleaded guilty The case carries a jail term of up to 20 years.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 11 in federal court in Miami.