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A Sparta resident, John Jhong, has been sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain two million dollars in COVID relief funds. The authorities revealed that the 54 year old used limited liability companies and the Social Security numbers of deceased individuals to apply for funding between April and October 2020. The funds were then misappropriated for personal expenses.
Jhong had previously pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud, money laundering, and misuse of a Social Security number. His sentencing took place on Wednesday in Newark federal court by U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton.
The investigation revealed that Jhong had submitted numerous fraudulent applications seeking more than $15 million in federal pandemic aid. The charges against him were originally filed in March 2021.
In addition to his prison sentence, Jhong has been ordered to serve three years of supervised release and return $2.13 million.