COVID-19 Relief and Social Security Fraud Prosecution Across Four States

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Press Release

Action Across the Country Today Prosecute Schemes to Defraud Over $260 Million in Taxpayer Funded COVID Relief and Social Security Disability Programs

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Share For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs U.S. Attorneys Prosecute Defendants in New Jersey, Colorado, Florida, and Missouri The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions of the Department of Justice across the country today to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted or succeeded in defrauding taxpayer-funded programs of over $260 million.

“The National Fraud Enforcement Division will vigorously pursue those who steal taxpayer dollars. We will find you and bring you to justice for the American people,” said Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

In the District of New Jersey: U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced that tax preparer Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, New Jersey, who sought more than $170 million in fraudulent COVID-19-related tax refunds was sentenced today to 12 years in prison. Haynes was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  Following a six-day jury trial in November 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, Haynes was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion.  This is the largest COVID-19 tax relief fraud case to be tried to date in the country.

In the District of Colorado: U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly announced that Ikponmwosa Erhinmwinrose, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Nyerhovwo Presley Agbure, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, were each sentenced in connection with a fraud ring that stole millions in government funds and victimized thousands of people nationwide.  Erhinmwinrose will spend 17 years in federal prison, and Agbure will spend 57 months in federal prison for their involvement in this fraud ring.

According to the evidence presented at the trial and sentencing of Erhinmwinrose, he and other conspirators, including Agbure, applied for more than $90 million in government benefits and stole more than $7.6 million in government benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, multiple state unemployment insurance programs including from the state of Colorado, and tax refunds.  The PPP and EIDL are economic relief programs launched by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Middle District of Florida: U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe announced that Viviana Barnwell was sentenced this morning in Tampa to two years in prison.  Barnwell’s adult son, P.C., was a beneficiary of Social Security disability benefits. P.C. went missing in 2016 and remains missing to this day. Despite reporting him missing to the local police, Barnwell concealed his death from the Social Security Administration, which continued to make monthly benefit payments onto P.C.’s debit card. Barnwell had control of that card and used it to withdraw and spend P.C.’s benefits for her own use. The total loss was $96,186.

In the Eastern District of Missouri: U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus announced that the owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits.  Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. In September 2025, Taylor pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft of government money. In December 2025, Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration. The new indictment accuses Taylor of applying for Social Security disability benefits in January 2026, falsely claiming that he had not worked since 1993.

A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The Fraud Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.

Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Updated April 8, 2026 Components Office of the Attorney General U.S. Attorneys (USAO) USAO - Colorado USAO - Florida, Middle USAO - Missouri, Eastern USAO - New Jersey Press Release Number: 26-335

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