A Miami-Dade County worker admits attempting a $160,000 COVID-19 relief scam

When Miami Gardens resident Willie Curry applied for a COVID-19 relief loan in June 2020, he claimed that Will Curry Computers had 10 employees and gross revenues of $755,416 and that his goods sold cost about $170,664.

“In reality... [Curry] established Will Curry Computers in 2020, it had only minimal gross revenues and cost of goods sold during the 12-month period prior to Jan. 31, 2020 and it had no other employees.” That’s from Curry’s factual proffer statement, the admission of facts that accompanied his guilty plea to wire fraud in federal court.

Curry, 58, a network manager with Miami-Dade County and a full-time county employee, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17.

Curry’s admission of facts says that on June 24, 2020, he submitted an application to the Small Business Administration for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). He said he was the sole owner of Will Curry Computers, established in 2015.

The SBA, working off Curry’s false information, tried to wire $10,000 to his Dade County Federal Credit Union account on June 29, 2020. The SBA tried to wire another $150,000 to the same account on July 16, 2020.

But Dade County Federal Credit Union returned the money to the SBA and told Curry it wouldn’t be accepting the money. He called the SBA and tried to get it to send the money to his Bank of America account. The SBA wouldn’t do so.

In 1994, Curry pleaded guilty in Broward County court to unlawful compensation, legalese for crimes under the “bribery; misuse of public office” part of the Florida statute. He was sentenced to a year of probation and $1,300 restitution.

This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 8:00 AM with the headline "A Miami-Dade County worker admits attempting a $160,000 COVID-19 relief scam."

David J. Neal

Miami Herald

305-376-3559

Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.