Will County man among those charged in alleged $2.8 million pandemic relief fraud scheme

A federal indictment accused four business owners from Will, Cook and DuPage counties of fraudulently obtaining about $2.8 million from COVID-19 pandemic relief programs.

The indictment against the four defendants was filed on June 26 but kept sealed from public view until this week.

The indictment portrays Dexter Crawford Jr., 41, of Woodridge, as the central figure in the alleged scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Programs between 2020 and 2021.

The programs were initiated by the federal government to provide emergency financial assistance to “millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects” of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the indictment.

Crawford allegedly assisted Jermie Miller, 42, of Joliet, along with Chicago residents Timika Royston, 49, and Orlando Patrick, 54, with fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief funds, the indictment stated.

The indictment alleged Crawford himself fraudulently acquired about $833,222 on behalf of his companies Prestigious Rental; Annie B’s Bakery; Benevento Holdings; Agnize; Dexcorp Consulting; and P&C Auto Group.

Crawford and Miller are charged with wire fraud and money laundering, while Royston and Patrick are charged with wire fraud.

How did the alleged fraud work?

Crawford and other defendants allegedly submitted loan applications for pandemic relief funds that contained false statements and misrepresentations about their businesses, according to the indictment.

In one case, Crawford and Miller allegedly recruited people to use their identities for the creation of records that falsely claimed they were paid employees of Miller’s company M-Fast.

The indictment alleged:

• $633,796 was fraudulently obtained for M-Fast.

• $496,525 was fraudulently obtained for Royston’s companies THR Lifestyle Consultants and Certoza Solutions.

• $860,823 was fraudulently obtained for Patrick’s companies Patrick Capital Group and Patrick Development.

Crawford allegedly purchased a 2017 Honda Accord, a 2016 Cadillac Escalade and bitcoins in connection with the offense of wire fraud, according to the indictment.

The indictment accused Miller of spending $10,672 at Kole Digital in connection with wire fraud.