SAN ANTONIO – A Texas man was arrested this week for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a $3.3 million Paycheck Protection Program loan and using the majority of it for a private jet and luxury items.
Scott Jackson Davis, 46, of Harris County, was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, the Department of Justice stated in a news release on Tuesday.
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Federal authorities said Davis lied on three applications for PPP loans, which are intended to help small businesses under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
He claimed to represent three businesses named Skilled Trade Investments LP (STILP), Skilled Trade Staffing LLC (STS), and Skilled Trade Investments Group LLC (STIGP).
“Davis claimed that these businesses had numerous employees and significant payroll, when in fact, they had few if any employees and little to no payroll,” the release states.
In the application, he also stated that he had not been convicted of a felony in the past five years, but he pleaded guilty to felony wire fraud charges in April 2017, authorities said.
He ended up receiving more than $3.3 million in PPP loans, and he spent a large portion of it on a private jet, real estate and luxury cars, the release states.
KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, said those purchases included a 2020 Cadillac Escalade, a 2021 GMC Sierra, a 5.58-carat diamond purchased for about $30,000, and a 2.6-carat diamond purchased for about $6,500.
If convicted, Davis could face 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud, 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, and 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering.
Read also: Texas man sentenced to 9 years in prison after using PPP loans to buy Lamborghini, visit strip clubs