Massachusetts Rep. Francisco Paulino Charged in $700,000 COVID Relief Fraud Scheme
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 26
Massachusetts Rep. Francisco Paulino Charged in $700,000 COVID Relief Fraud Scheme
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 26
Summary
Federal prosecutors charged Massachusetts state Rep. Francisco Paulino with 11 counts after alleging he fraudulently obtained more than $700,000 in pandemic unemployment and loan funds.
The indictment says the scheme began in 2020, when Paulino applied for COVID relief on behalf of an unwitting 77-year-old relative and later used money for real estate costs, loan payments and transfers to his campaign account.
Prosecutors also allege he lent out some of the relief money at higher interest rates than the pandemic loans carried, adding money-laundering charges to the fraud case.
Paulino is the second Massachusetts politician charged this month in a pandemic-relief case, after Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was indicted on similar fraud and money-laundering counts.