Tampa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for $533,000 COVID Relief Fraud Scheme

A Tampa, Florida man has been sentenced to federal prison for carrying out a deliberate and sustained fraud scheme that siphoned more than half a million dollars from COVID-19 relief programs created to keep legitimate businesses afloat during the height of the pandemic. Federal authorities say the scheme exploited emergency lending safeguards at a time when billions of dollars were being rapidly distributed to prevent widespread economic collapse.

Terrance Bradford, 47, of Tampa, was sentenced by a federal district judge in the Middle District of Florida to 30 months in federal prison after investigators determined he submitted multiple fraudulent loan applications under pandemic-era relief programs designed to provide critical financial assistance to small businesses. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Bradford to forfeit $533,648.32, the full amount prosecutors say he unlawfully obtained through false representations, concealment of disqualifying information, and repeated misuse of federal emergency funding mechanisms.

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Fraudulent Use of Pandemic Relief Programs

According to court records, the scheme took place between April 2020 and March 2021, during the height of the federal government’s rollout of emergency financial assistance programs aimed at preventing economic collapse caused by COVID-19 shutdowns.

Federal prosecutors established that Bradford submitted multiple false and fraudulent applications for loans under both the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which were administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

As part of the application process, Bradford was required to disclose whether he was:

• suspended or excluded from contracting with the federal government, or
• involved in active bankruptcy proceedings

On each application, Bradford falsely answered “no” to both questions.

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Material Misrepresentations and Concealment

Despite his certifications, investigators determined that Bradford was ineligible to receive federal relief funds at the time the applications were submitted. A prior investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor had resulted in Bradford being excluded from receiving federal contracts or grants, a disqualifying condition for participation in COVID relief programs.

In addition, Bradford’s business was actively involved in bankruptcy proceedings during the same period he sought pandemic assistance. By concealing both his exclusion status and bankruptcy filings, Bradford was able to bypass safeguards designed to prevent misuse of emergency funds.

Through these material misrepresentations, Bradford obtained $533,648.32 in COVID-19 relief funds to which he was not entitled.

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Investigation and Prosecution

The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, agencies tasked with identifying and prosecuting fraud tied to pandemic relief programs.

Federal authorities have emphasized that EIDL and PPP fraud cases remain a priority, as misuse of emergency funding diverted resources away from legitimate small businesses facing economic hardship during the pandemic.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, with forfeiture proceedings handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky.

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Sentencing Outcome

In addition to his 30-month federal prison sentence, Bradford was ordered to forfeit the full amount obtained through the scheme. There is no parole in the federal system, and Bradford will be subject to supervision following his release.

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