United States of America v. Joe Lewis Jefferson

Raleigh, North Carolina criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with COVID Fraud

Nashville Man Sentenced to Four Years for COVID Fraud

A Nashville man was indicted for orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain emergency rental assistance designated for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 12, 2024, Joe Lewis Jefferson, age 50, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of failure to file a tax return.



Jefferson recruited others to falsely pose as landlords for properties located in Eastern North Carolina. In the names of these nominee landlords, Jefferson prepared and submitted fraudulent North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE) loan applications for emergency rental assistance. When the applications were approved, NC HOPE mailed checks to addresses controlled by Jefferson. Jefferson traveled with the nominee landlords to area banks to negotiate the checks and split the proceeds. Jefferson and his co-conspirators were responsible for the submission of at least 44 fraudulent applications for rental assistance, resulting in the disbursement of approximately $279,000.



The NC HOPE Program administered federal COVID-19 relief funds and provided emergency rental assistance to North Carolina renters who faced eviction and homelessness during the pandemic. The program allowed renters to submit an online application to apply for rental assistance. If approved, the program paid the tenant's rent, in checks sent directly to the landlord, for up to 15 months of overdue or future rent payments



Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The investigation was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan prosecuted the case.