Florida Man Charged with Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud

Wilmington, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on May 28, 2024, charging Blaine Murphy, 56, of Naples, Florida with wire fraud and making false statements in connection with fraudulent loan applications submitted as part of the federal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, announced David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.

According to the indictment, Murphy fraudulently applied for loans designed to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March and June 2020, using the names of nine separate businesses, Murphy submitted, or participated in the submission of, PPP loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration and its authorized lenders.  These applications falsely inflated average monthly payroll and number of employees of those companies in an attempt to obtain funds from the PPP. Murphy also falsely stated that he did not own or commonly manage other businesses, and he provided false and fraudulent tax documents in connection with most of his loan applications. Murphy obtained over $350,000 as a result of this fraudulent scheme.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “During a generational public health crisis, this defendant took advantage of a federal government program intended to help keep small businesses and their employees afloat. The defendant’s fraudulent behavior came at the expense of his fellow citizens. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware brings these charges to hold him accountable for his actions.”

Murphy is charged with wire fraud and making false statements on loan applications. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

The FBI Baltimore Division’s Dover Resident Agency conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan C. Williamson and Jesse S. Wenger are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

On May 17, 2021, the U.S. Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the U.S. Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across the federal government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to combat fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to combating COVID-19 fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

Anyone with information about allegations of fraud or attempted fraud involving COVID-19 funding can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.