TOWSON, Md. — A Baltimore County Corrections officer allegedly applied for and received a nearly $20,000 federal loan under false pretenses.
This according to a newly released Inspector General report.
The unnamed guard reportedly hired someone in Nigeria to file a loan application on their behalf.
This was during the middle of COVID-19, at a time when the U.S. Small Business Administration launched its Paycheck Protection Program to assist those financially impacted by the pandemic.
On his application the guard claimed to work in the taxi business, losing out on a purported $7,855.58 per month or $94,267 annually.
The Inspector General determined these numbers were false.
Investigators revealed the guard "had no such earnings during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021."
In fact, the guard was getting a steady paycheck from his real job with the Departments of Corrections during the height of COVID.
On top of that, the federal government forgave the loan, meaning the guard never had to pay it back.
Instead the guard used his tax-payer funded loan on a new car, personal credit card bills, and to subsidize a side hustle of buying auctioned cars which he in turn would ship off to Nigeria.
It's the second time this year the Inspector General uncovered suspected fraud committed by a Baltimore County Corrections worker.
Back in May, another report highlighted a guard who obtained more than $18,000 in COVID relief loans.
In both instances, the County responded with essentially the same letter vowing to investigate.
