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AFP / US Department of Justice
The Justice Department released an image that allegedly shows Andrew Marnell at a black jack table.
A California man was arrested on claims that he fraudulently obtained at least $ 8 million (£ 6.4 million) in aid of coronavirus and used part of the money to gamble.
Andrew Marnell, 40, is accused of filing bogus loan applications on behalf of various companies to secure funds from the Paycheck Protection Program.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles allege that he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at Las Vegas casinos.
He also allegedly used the funds to make high-risk bets on the stock market.
Marnell faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of bank fraud.
The Paycheck Protection Program is a federal scheme designed to help small businesses and prevent layoffs during the pandemic. It has provided more than half a trillion dollars, but it has been controversial.
Some analysts have said that it is vulnerable to fraud and that much of the money has gone to larger companies that don’t need help.
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