A Cincinnati man has been indicted for allegedly running a taxi business while he was in prison. Willie Boyce, 41, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on charges of Paycheck-related Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced. According to the indictment, Boyce was held in the Hamilton County Jail from March 2018 until September 2020, before being released to a halfway house. In April 2021, Boyce allegedly applied for two PPP loans online, claiming that he owned a business called “Willie Boyce” that provided taxi and ride-sharing services. Boyce filed two applications on April 4 and April 9, 2021. In the filing, Boyce allegedly claimed he grossed $98,500 in 2019, despite spending the entire year in jail. The indictment also alleges that Boyce used his halfway house address as the business address on the application and submitted falsified bank statements. In early May 2021, Boyce received over $40,700 in COVID-19 relief loans. That month, Boyce allegedly used PPP loans to buy Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Expedia, Hampton Inn and Delta Airlines. Boyce was charged with four counts of wire fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
A Cincinnati man has been indicted for allegedly running a taxi business while he is behind bars.
Willie Boyce, 41, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday in connection with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced.
According to the indictment, Boyce served his sentence at the Hamilton County Jail from March 2018 to September 2020, after which he was released to a halfway house.
In April 2021, Boyce allegedly applied for two PPP loans online, claiming he owned a business called “Willie Boyce,” which provided taxi and ride-sharing services.
Boyce filed two separate applications on April 4 and April 9, 2021.
In the filing, Boyce allegedly claimed a gross income of $98,500 in 2019, despite being in jail all year.
The indictment also alleges that Boyce used his transit station address as the business address in the application and submitted a falsified bank statement.
In early May 2021, Boyce received more than $40,700 in COVID-19 relief loans.
That month, Boyce allegedly used PPP loans to buy Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Expedia, Hampton Inn and Delta Airlines.
Boyce was charged with four counts of wire fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.