Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Man used $2M in COVID relief for a Bentley, Tesla, Las Vegas condos: feds



By Elizabeth Elizalde

January 24, 2021 | 12:04am | Updated



Two condos in Sin City are among the purchases feds accuse Jorge Abramovs of making with COVID relief funds.Shutterstock


A Las Vegas man allegedly stole about $2 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds meant for small businesses — all so he could buy luxury cars and homes, prosecutors said.

Jorge Abramovs has been charged with bank fraud after allegedly applying for Paycheck Protection Program funds between April and June 2020, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Prosecutors charged that Abramovs used a variety of company names, including National Investment Group Corporation, National Legal Advisors In Care Of and National Investment Group, when applying for the aid.

In one application, Abramovs claimed NIGC had 18 employees and an average monthly payroll of $64,797.

Another application claimed NIGC had 49 employees with a payroll of $55,235, according to a federal criminal complaint obtained by the outlet.

In total, Abramovs allegedly got away with $1,986,737.46 in fraudulent PPP loans, the complaint states.

He allegedly used those funds to purchase a 2020 Bentley Continental GT Convertible for $260,982, a 2020 Tesla, and two luxury condominiums in Las Vegas ranging in price from $225,000 to $415,000, prosecutors say.

Abramovs was ordered remanded in custody during a detention hearing on Friday.


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