(WWJ) A Harper Woods man could spend more than a decade behind bars after fraudulently collecting more than $60,000 in pandemic-related relief funds.
Roy Lee Holt, 58, was sentenced in Wayne County’s 3rd Circuit Court last Friday to two to 15 years in prison, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. In addition to prison time, Holt was ordered to pay $63,865 in restitution.
A Wayne County jury convicted Holt in April on multiple charges, including:
- Two counts of false pretenses ($20,000–$50,000)
- One count of false pretenses ($1,000–$20,000)
- Two counts of using a computer to commit a crime
- One count of making/permitting a false tax return
According to state prosecutors, Holt submitted a fraudulent bank statement and lied about his business operations to secure two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2021, totaling more than $41,000.
He later submitted additional falsified information to have those loans forgiven, officials said.
Holt also targeted the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program, which was administered by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to help residents facing housing hardships during the pandemic. Officials said Holt stole $19,880 from the program by submitting altered and fabricated documents.
Holt was an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) when the crimes were committed.
The state’s investigation and subsequent prosecution were carried out through a joint partnership between the Michigan Attorney General's Office, MSHDA, and the VA's Office of Inspector General (VA OIG).
"Those who defraud these programs cheat taxpayers out of their hard-earned money and strip resources away from those truly in need," Attorney General Nessel said, following the conviction. She emphasized that her office will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals who exploit government aid programs.
Amy Hovey, CEO and Executive Director of MSHDA, called the case rare but emphasized that authorities do take fraud like this seriously. "This conviction reflects strong coordination with our state and federal partners to hold bad actors accountable," Hovey said, in a news release.
Gregory Billingsley, Special Agent in Charge of the VA OIG’s Central Field Office, said the agency remains dedicated to protecting taxpayer dollars. "We will vigorously investigate any VA employee who attempts to obtain government funds through fraudulent actions," Billingsley said.
The joint enforcement operation was made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Attorney General’s Office and MSHDA specifically aimed at investigating the theft of housing funds.
