An Andover man who faked his own death after being charged with swindling the federal government out of $500,000 in coronavirus relief money last year has pleaded guilty to those charges, officials said Monday.
Last year, David Adler Staveley, also known as David Sanborn, 54, filed for CARES loans for three restaurants and an unincorporated businesses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, officials said. But two of the restaurants were closed at the time Staveley filed for the aid, he did not own the other restaurant and the other business had no employees or wages.
After being charged along with an accomplice in May 2020, Staveley fled Massachusetts and let suicide notes with associates and in his car that was driven into the ocean. Officials arrested Staveley in Georgia in July.
In September, Staveley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and on Monday Staveley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court as required. He is scheduled to be sentence in August.
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