On August 23, 2023, DOJ announced that its latest coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 relief fraud has resulted in 718 enforcement actions, including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants, for offenses involving more than $836 million in alleged COVID-19 relief fraud.

The August 23, 2023 announcement, which detailed the results of a three-month coordinated law enforcement action between May and July 2023, is just the latest in DOJ’s ongoing efforts to pursue COVID-19 relief fraud. According to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, “[t]he Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country.”

The enforcement actions include pandemic healthcare billing fraud, as well as significant charges related to pandemic unemployment insurance benefit fraud and fraud against the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The most recent action was the result of a collaboration between more than 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces that have been operating since September 2022 in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California, the Southern District of Florida, and the District of Maryland, as well the efforts of DOJ’s Criminal and Civil Divisions, and more than a dozen law enforcement and OIG partners.

Attorney General Garland indicated that DOJ’s efforts to “identify and prosecute those who stole pandemic relief funds is far from over.”

During the same announcement, DOJ announced the creation of two new COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces: one for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and one for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

The Press Release can be read in full here.