FLORHAM PARK, NJ - JULY 29: New York Jets wide receiver Josh Bellamy (15) during New York Jets Training Camp on July 29, 2019 at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Facility in Florham Park, NJ (Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. - Federal agents said NFL star Josh Bellamy and others tried to steal more than $175 million in taxpayer cash intended for the federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP), and they're still fighting to get it all back.
Agents slapped the handcuffs on the St. Petersburg, Florida native on Thursday in Miami, along with other members of what investigators call a "criminal ring."
“The money these defendants stole was taxpayer money,” said Brian Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General, “every dollar received was a dollar drawn from the American people's account. Even worse, every dollar they took was a dollar that we had all set aside to help our fellow Americans weather one of the worst national crises in recent history. And as we allege, these defendants tried to steal those funds for themselves.”
The feds say Bellamy's alleged $1.2 million cash grab was just a fraction of the $24 million he and others in the ring are accused of trying to fraudulently claim.
“PPP funds, as I mentioned earlier, were intended to help keep American businesses afloat. They were intended to help ordinary everyday Americans pay their bills and put food on the table. I can assure you that they were not intended to help support fraudsters' dreams of owning Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Range Rovers, or diamonds,” Rabbitt said in a news conference.
Investigators have so far charged 57 people with PPP-related fraud. Beth Rotman is the director for money in politics with the nonprofit Common Cause. She said the charges were saddening, but not surprising.
“How uncaring, how oblivious to the moment that we're in do you have to be to literally steal the rescue funds that are needed to stabilize our economy and our community, going forward?” Rotman asked.
Federal agents said so far, they've managed to recover or freeze just $30 million of the stolen money. Rotman said sadly, she thinks these arrests are just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many more arrests like this to come.