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Donald Finley, owner of the Bayville Adventure Park on Long Island, New York, has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining US$3m in Covid relief funding to buy himself a house
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 26 May 2023
A theme park owner and businessman in the US has admitted to fraudulently obtaining more than US$3.2m (€3m, £2.6m) through federal Coronavirus aid, using a portion of the funds to buy himself a home.
Donald Finley, owner of the Bayville Adventure Park on Long Island and the now closed Jekyll & Hyde restaurant in Manhattan, pleaded guilty to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud connected to small businesses loans he obtained during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Finley was accused of submitting fake applications for nearly 30 small business loans between March 2020 and March 2021, receiving millions from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP).
A plea deal will force Finley to pay more than US$3.2m in restitution and a fine of up to US$1.25m (€1.2m, £1m). He also faces a prison sentence of up to 30 years, with sentencing scheduled for November 8, 2023.
“We have seen the abuses of disaster relief programs when all too often criminals find an opportunity for exploitation,” said IRS-CI special agent-in-charge Fattorusso.
“In this case, Finley obtained millions in Covid-19 relief funds, only to use the ill-gotten cash for his own personal gain. While he may be the owner of an amusement park meant to bring joy, with his guilty plea and pending sentencing, Finley may be facing a future that he could find much less enjoyable.”
Congress created the PPP and EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Finley has admitted diverting millions of dollars in Covid-19 disaster relief funds to finance his personal expenses, including the purchase of a home in Nantucket, Massachusetts,” stated the United States Attorney Peace.
“This Office will continue investigating and prosecuting those, like the defendant, who shamelessly steal from government programs that were intended for struggling small businesses and families during the pandemic.”
Theme park
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