In a topic near and dear to our hearts, another COVID fraudster is finally answering for his crimes.
Seems like only yesterday that Jared Leonard was going to open a Budlong Chicken 'superstore' of sorts at 1329 W. Wilson (now home to Terrace).
Those plans evaporated when Leonard abandoned the Wilson project and moved to Colorado to open a Denver outpost of Budlong alongside a new concept (Au Feu).
Then COVID hit. Instead of working to survive and reset, Leonard decided to take full advantage of the COVID crisis by making up fake business losses and submitting false information to the government to obtain PPP loans.
Thankfully, sometimes justice prevails and crooks get caught and have to do hard time.
Via CWB Chicago, Leonard will be doing 30 months of federal jail time for his crimes.
Here's hoping the bell will toll for any and all local (alleged) fraudsters as well! (if guilty...)
$64 billion in fraud loss from the PPP loans during covid. i worked in banking fraud at the time and saw how wild west it was. im shocked they are still investigating and catching people this many years later.
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