ANDOVER, MASS. (WHDH) - A Massachusetts man accused of defrauding a federal program designed to help struggling businesses through the pandemic is facing additional charges after authorities said he faked his own death and tried to escape.
David Staveley, 53, and a co-conspirator were arrested back in May and are facing charges for allegedly trying to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program by creating fake loan applications for several restaurants in Mass. and Rhode Island.
Many of those restaurants had shut down before the start of the pandemic.
Federal investigators said the men asked for more than $500,000 that was set aside to help businesses pay their workers during the pandemic.
“We believe both men lied, cheated, and carried out this scheme so they could line their pockets at the expense of the hardworking small businesses that are teetering on the edge of financial ruin,”said Joe Bonavolonta, of the FBI.
Prosecutors said they believe that after his arrest, Staveley cut off his GPS ankle bracelet and faked his own death to try and escape the charges.
He allegedly left a suicide note in his unlocked car which was found parked by a beach in Quincy.
US Marshals found him two months later in Georgia and said he used fake IDs and stolen license plates to avoid detection.
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