The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Julian J. Levons, 64, of Henryville, Monroe County, pleaded guilty Thursday to perpetrating a wire fraud and money laundering scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief guaranteed by the Small Business Administration through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

The plea was entered after Levons went on trial Tuesday.

The loan program is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Levons was charged with obtaining two EIDL loans for a combined approximate $300,000, and attempting to obtain a third EIDL loan for approximately $150,000.

Court papers say Levons falsified revenue and expense figures for two supposed small businesses that he and his wife owned. The money was allegedly used to pay down a high interest rate line of credit for Levons’ personal expenses, and to pay off a high interest rate mortgage on a rental property, despite prohibitions on the use of EIDL funds to refinance pre-existing debt. Investigators seized over $210,000 in fraudulently obtained EIDL funds from bank accounts under his control.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across 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 criminals and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling 866-720-5721 or via the web complaint form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.