A Georgia man has been sentenced to jail after he was caught using illegally obtained COVID-19 relief money to buy a US$57,000 Pokémon trading card .
Vinath Oudomsine of Dublin, Ga., pleaded guilty in October to a single count of wire fraud after he was accused of submitting false information to the U.S.Small Business Administration last year when he applied for a coronavirus relief loan for an “entertainment services” business he claimed to own.
Read more: Pokemon card sales spiked amid COVID-19.Now, stores are taking them off the shelves
He received $85,000 from the loan program, prosecutors said, and used it to buy a “Charizard” Pokémon trading card for $57,789.
The 31-year-old claimed that his nonexistent business had 10 employees and was grossing about $235,000 per year, said a release from the U.S.Department of Justice .
Trending Stories Most Canadian provinces have ‘roared back’ amid disappearing COVID deficits: report GiveSendGo tells court it is refunding convoy donations amid freezing order Story continues below advertisement “COVID-19 disaster relief loans are issued by the government to help businesses struggling to survive during a pandemic, not to use for trivial collectible items,” Philip Wislar, acting special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement.
Read more: How the letter ‘Z’ became a powerful Russian propaganda tool
“This sentence highlights the FBI’s commitment to aggressively pursue anyone who would abuse taxpayer dollars and divert them from citizens who desperately need them.”
The Pokémon enthusiast was sentenced to three years in prison.
He was also ordered to forfeit the “Charizard” card, fined $10,000, and must pay $85,000 in restitution.
1:25 Pokemon grandpa’s 15-phone rig may catch ’em all Pokemon grandpa’s 15-phone rig may catch ’em all Pokemon problem: pursuing the colourful characters can be a real pain in the neck Russian video blogger facing prison for playing Pokemon Go inside church Environmental group hopping on the Pokemon Go craze Police helicopter trails erratic car as driver is revealed to be playing Pokemon Go Previous Video Next Video.
