October 20, 2021 The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 18, 2021, Darryl Corradini and Vicki Hackenberg both of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to conspiring to commit money laundering. The laundering activities involved hundreds of thousands of fraudulently obtained funds, including nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief guaranteed by the Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
A Bloomsburg couple is accused of obtaining nearly $300,000 in fraudulent federal COVID-19 relief funds, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
Darryl Corradini, 63, and Vicki Hackenberg, 57, applied for the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020 under the guise CGM Realty LLC, a corporation prosecutors say had no employees or business operations.
The Paycheck Protection Program was implemented in 2020 to help small businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who apply must meet certain criteria involving employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease and utilities expenses.
According to U.S. attorney Bruce Brandler, Corradini and Hackenberg forged IRS documentation in their PPP application to meet the criteria and received more than $296,000, which they then used to purchase Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency.
Pa. couple accused of using fraudulently obtained paycheck protection loan to buy bitcoins
Updated Apr 15, 2021;
WILLIAMSPORT – A Bloomsburg couple has been accused of fraudulently using Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to illegally obtain loans that were used to purchase more than $350,000 in bitcoins.
Darryl Corradini, 63, and Vicki Hackbenberg, 57, are to be arraigned Friday on charges contained in an indictment unsealed in U.S. Middle District Court.
Part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), the Paycheck Protection Program authorizes forgivable loans to small businesses facing financial difficulties during the pandemic.
Corradini and Hackenberg are accused of creating a shell corporation, CGM Realty LLC, in December 2019 to apply for PPP loans.
April 15, 2021 The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darryl Corradini and Vicki Hackenberg, both of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, were charged on April 13, 2021, by a federal grand jury with perpetrating a bank fraud and money laundering scheme that included nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief guaranteed by the Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).