Feds arrest Lee County resident, indict another for COVID fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice accused two Lee County men Tuesday in a pair of unrelated cases that allege they pocketed millions of dollars through COVID-relief scams.

The defendants, Lester John Parker Jr., 55, and Thakur Sukhdeo, 38, both of Lehigh Acres, are each accused of scheming to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration. Each faces decades in federal prison if convicted.

Parker, who has been arrested, has been indicted on 15 counts, including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of access device fraud, three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, four counts of aggravated identity theft and five counts of wire fraud.

The most serious charges, for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each carries a 20-year prison sentence.

Sukhdeo’s indictment includes charge of wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. He could be sentenced up to 30 years for each of the wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for each illegal monetary transaction count.

Prosecutors, according to a statement, also intend to go after Sukhdeo’s proceeds from the alleged crimes — a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace, a 2020 GMC Sierra 3500 HD and $414,000.

The two cases are part of a long-running crackdown on COVID-relief fraud run by a federal task force made up of the U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida’s criminal, asset recovery, appellate and civil divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

As of July, the task force has prosecuted 89 defendants who are alleged to have committed $84.5 million worth of fraud since March 2020, officials say. Of those, 67 have been found guilty. The prosecution of the remaining 22 continues.

According to the Justice Department, between 2020 and 2021, Parker submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications to the SBA and its lender that included forged bank statements and IRS records.  

Prosecutors say he has been linked to dozens of false loan applications which resulted in more than $3 million in payouts.

Parker was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. He is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Simon Eth.

As for Sukhdeo, prosecutors allege he “engaged in a scheme to defraud” the SBA by misrepresenting on loan documents what the funds from Economic Injury Disaster Loan would be used for.

Based on what was in the documentation, the SBA funded a $414,000 EIDL for his company, J.R. Handyman Pro’s LLC. But rather than use the money for the business, prosecutors allege Sukhdeo used the money for himself, buying a luxury car for $68,984.61 and a truck for $93,994.42.

Sukhdeo was investigated by the FBI. He is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Reichling. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.