Tampa man arrested for $500K in COVID loan fraud

By Laura Lyon
| 3:07 p.m. March 14, 2025
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

A Tampa man was recently arrested for crimes related to COVID loan fraud. Terrence Bradford, 46, was indicted and arrested for eight counts of wire fraud related to COVID relief funds, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

If convicted, Bradford faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count, the release states. He also faces a forfeiture order of $533,648.32, which is the amount of the alleged proceeds he obtained through these offenses.

The release states Bradford allegedly submitted multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program loan applications between April 2020 and March 2021. The office did not specify the line of work Bradford is in.

The PPP and EIDL were under the umbrella of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.

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Laura Lyon

Laura Lyon is the Business Observer's editor for the Tampa Bay region, covering business news in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties. She has a journalism degree from American University in Washington, D.C. Prior to the Business Observer, she worked in many storytelling capacities as a photographer and writer for various publications and brands.