Roofing exec faces more charges in PPP loan scam

FORT MYERS — More federal charges have been filed against Southwest Florida roofing executive Casey David Crowther in a scheme where authorities allege he used federal coronavirus relief funds for personal use, including buying a 40-foot boat for nearly $700,000.

A federal grand jury previously indicted Crowther, president Target Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., of COVID relief fraud and making a false statement to a lending institution. The new superseding indictment, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office, contains additional counts charging Crowther, 35, of Fort Myers, with mortgage fraud. The charges also now include illegal monetary transactions, the statement adds.

The indictment also notifies Crowther that the United States intends to forfeit the 2020 40-foot catamaran, in addition to real property in St. James City and $2,098,700 — all of which are alleged proceeds of the offenses; the real property, the release states, is also subject to forfeiture because it was involved in the illegal monetary transaction.

In the original unsealed criminal complaint, federal authorities alleged Crowther applied for and received a $2,098,700 loan under the federal Payroll Protection Program. Through the SBA, PPP loan rules stipulate funds have to be used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. But authorities, in the criminal complaint, contend within days of receiving the PPP funds, Crowther had wired $689,417 from the Target Roofing PPP account to a bank in Sarasota “for the purchase of a 2020 40’ Invincible Catamaran boat from Sara Bay Marina in Sarasota.”

In the superseding indictment officials allege that as part of his scheme, Crowther, in June, submitted false and fraudulent Uniform Residential Loan Applications (URLA) to a mortgage broker and mortgage lender. That in turn caused the lender to disburse approximately $640,381 in loan funds. “Specifically, Crowther intentionally misrepresented his liquid assets in the URLAs and created false and fraudulent bank statements, which purported to show he had more assets than he actually had,” the release states.

If convicted on all counts, Crowther faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each bank fraud and false statement count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each illegal monetary transaction count.

Target Roofing, according to previous statements from the company, handles roof maintenance and repair services, in addition to reroofing and new construction roofing services. The company installs shingle, tile, metal and flat roofs on a variety of commercial structures, including high-rises, mid-rises, apartment buildings, condominiums, shopping plazas, churches, schools and government facilities. It had $32.78 million in revenue in 2019, and has around 200 employees at the end of last year.