DOJ Releases COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force Report that Calls on Congress to Extend the Statute of Limitations for COVID-19 Fraud-Related Offenses
The Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force released its 2024 report detailing multi-agency efforts to respond to fraud in COVID-era federal relief programs, including charging more than 3,500 defendants and recovering $1.4 billion in Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds since 2021. Along with the Internal Revenue Services’ Criminal Investigations Division, the Task Force has initiated 352 investigations involving more than $2.9 billion in potentially fraudulent Employee Retention Tax Credit claims. The Task Force also called on Congress to enact new legislation that would extend the statute of limitations for all COVID-19 fraud-related offenses and adequately resource anti-fraud efforts well into the future.
Relatedly, the White House applauded forthcoming legislation led by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), entitled the “Fraud Prevention and Recovery Act” that would crack down on systemic pandemic fraud across government programs and help victims of identity theft.
© 2024 Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA). All rights reserved.