Texas Man Charged with COVID Relief Fraud

Jul 14, 2020 · Sourced to the U.S. Department of Justice

The charges described here are allegations. The defendant(s) are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This page reflects only what the Department of Justice has publicly announced, and links to the original release.

A Texas man has been taken into custody on allegations he fraudulently obtained more than $1.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas.

District

Southern Texas

Announced

Jul 14, 2020

Status

Charged

Defendants

Joshua Thomas Argires — age 29 · Houston, Texas · charged

Charges

Making false statements to a financial institution
Joshua Thomas Argires· charged
Wire fraud
Joshua Thomas Argires· charged
Bank fraud
Joshua Thomas Argires· charged
Engaging in unlawful monetary transactions
Joshua Thomas Argires· charged

Financial actions

fraud: $1.1 million — Fraudulently obtained PPP loans through two fraudulent loan applications for Texas Barbecue and Houston Landscaping

Investigating agencies

Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector GeneralSmall Business Administration Office of the Inspector GeneralU.S. Postal Inspection ServiceU.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud SectionU.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas

Case details

Prosecuting office: Southern District of Texas
Judge: Peter Bray, U.S. Magistrate Judge

Cares ActCovid Relief FraudCryptocurrencyFederal Interagency InvestigationPaycheck Protection Program (Ppp)Unlawful Monetary TransactionsWire Fraud And Bank Fraud

Primary source

Every fact above is drawn from the Department of Justice's own announcement — a public-domain government record.

Read the original DOJ release →

This is a research and reference page compiled from public DOJ announcements, not legal advice. Details reflect the government's statements as of its release date and may not capture later developments such as appeals, dismissals, or overturned convictions. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.