District of Idaho’s COVID-19 Fraud Task Force Makes Significant Strides Against Pandemic-Related Fraud

The District of Idaho’s COVID-19 Fraud Task Force, established in September, has achieved notable results in the past year. Comprised of federal prosecutors and 11 federal agencies, the task force focuses on prosecuting cases related to pandemic-related programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), Unemployment Insurance (UI), and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Over this period, the task force has brought charges against a dozen individuals and secured civil judgments against three defendants, involving a total of over $7 million in fraud.

Several individuals have been prosecuted as part of this effort, including:

1. Lawrence Sikutwa, sentenced to 30 months for bank fraud and money laundering.
2. Valentin Lapatskiy, sentenced to 15 months for wire fraud.
3. Anubor Bagbi, awaiting sentencing for aggravated identity theft and bank fraud.
4. Craig Marlow, indicted for wire fraud related to obtaining fraudulent EIDL program proceeds.
5. Patricia Pischel, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
6. Nels Anderson, sentenced to 6 months for a false claim.
7. Jimmy Winebrenner, awaiting sentencing for using or trafficking in unauthorized access devices.
8. Daniel Labrum, awaiting sentencing for bank fraud.
9. Eric O’Neil, awaiting sentencing for bank fraud.

The task force comprises various federal law enforcement agencies and has been actively investigating and prosecuting cases of fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs. These cases involve fraudulent applications for loans and benefits meant to support individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darci Crane, Brittney Campbell, and Sean Mazorol are leading these prosecutions with the assistance of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The task force’s efforts are aimed at deterring and addressing fraudulent activities that exploit pandemic-related relief programs.