ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — Five people were arrested in Escambia County Wednesday after being accused of scheming to steal CARES Act money.
Antonio Slocum Jr., Megan Slocum, Ari’obasi Jenkins, Alyssa Cole, and Elijah Simmons were all arrested and charged with grand theft and scheme to defraud.
In a release, the ECSO says the Slocums, Jenkins, Cole and Simmons would steal victims’ identities and information to obtain CARES Act loans and defraud financial institutions anywhere from $4,000 to $70,000.
“They would fraudulently apply and receive CARES ACT loan money and open accounts at financial institutes like Navy Federal with the intent to scheme and defraud,” the sheriff’s office said in the release. “In one case Ari’obasi Jenkins, used stolen funds to purchase a 2017 Corvette.”
ECSO says while serving the seven search warrants, the ECSO collected 50 fraudulent bank cards, seized nine firearms, and more than 600 other pieces of evidence.
The ECSO partnered with the FBI, ATF, the US Department of Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, Pensacola Police Department, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Corrections, the US Postal Inspector and the Navy Federal Security team during the investigation.
This is an ongoing investigation. Several more arrest are expected to be made.
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