SCRANTON, PA — A 59-year-old Pennsylvania resident, Daniel Wasielewski, was sentenced on December 21, 2023, to 24 months in federal prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Wasielewski, from Wilkes-Barre, was convicted for committing pandemic fraud, according to United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam reported that Wasielewski pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including those under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. He also assisted others in doing the same.
The applications submitted by Wasielewski and his co-conspirators were made on behalf of corporate entities that did not have actual business operations. These applications bore false revenues and other business information, included forged IRS tax documents, and used stolen personal information.
Wasielewski received approximately $350,000 in PPP, EIDL, PUA, and other fraudulently-obtained funds for himself and others. The funds were not used for business expenses as required by the programs, but instead were used to purchase cryptocurrency and other personal expenses.
Banking and law enforcement officials successfully froze and recovered about $150,000 of the stolen funds. Wasielewski has been ordered to pay restitution to the victims for the remaining amount.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo leading the prosecution. This case is part of a broader effort by the federal government to crack down on fraudulent use of pandemic relief funds.
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