DOJ Establishes Task Force To Focus Fraud Related to COVID-19 Funding
Federal efforts to ensure the proper management of COVID-19 emergency relief funds continues to grow. Last week, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to combine the agency’s resources with other governmental agencies to enhance enforcement efforts against COVID-19 related fraud.
DOJ “will use every available federal tool — including criminal, civil and administrative actions — to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud,” Garland said. “We look forward to working with our federal government colleagues to bring to justice those who seek to profit unlawfully from the pandemic.” Admitting that it may be impossible to keep all those intent on carrying out illegal COVID fraud schemes from doing so, DOJ and other federal agencies have already been working to hold hundreds of bad actors accountable. To date, it has charged nearly 600 defendants with crimes involving over $600 million in COVID-related fraud in 56 federal districts around the country
The task force will augment and incorporate the existing coordination mechanisms within DOJ and will continue to work in close coordination with other efforts under way throughout the federal government. It will work closely with its partners to share information and insights gained from prior enforcement experience to reduce the potential threat of fraud, and help agencies tasked with administering these significant relief programs increase their fraud prevention efforts by providing any appropriate information law enforcement learns about fraud trends and illicit tactics. Additionally, it will also bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminals, prevent the exploitation of government assistance for personal and financial gain, and recover stolen funds.
Led by the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will include several entities within DOJ, including the Criminal and Civil Divisions, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Key interagency partners, such as the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Labor, Treasury and Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), and others, have been invited to be part of the task force.
DOJ encourages the public to notify the agency when it suspects fraudulent activity related to COVID-19 funds and other grant programs. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721, or file an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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