A man from Miami has been hit with bank fraud and other charges after using money he obtained through Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to purchase a 2020 Lamborghini Huracan, the Department of Justice announced this week.
29-year-old David T. Hines was arrested and charged with one count of bank fraud, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, and one count of engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds.
In the criminal complaint, unsealed on Monday following Hines' initial appearance before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan, Hines is said to have initially attempted to secure an estimated $13.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds "through applications to an insured financial institution on behalf of different companies."
The applications, according to federal officials, included multiple instances of "false and misleading" info regarding the payroll expenses of those companies. Still, Hines was ultimately given approval for approximately $3.9 million in PPP loans.
Within days of receiving the money, per the complaint, Hines bought the Lamborghini for around $318,000 and registered it in both his name and the name of one of the companies in question. Not long after that, he's said to have also made purchases at "luxury retailers and resorts" in the Miami Beach area despite allegedly failing to make payroll payments.
According to regional outlet WKMG-TV, Hines' attorney has since described his client as a "legitimate business owner," adding that he's "anxious" to give his side of this increasingly viral story.
Meanwhile, many everyday Americans are teetering on the brink of collapse while government leaders largely express a lack of proven concern for their future.
