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Boston man who spent COVID relief money at casino, Saks, and Six Flags sentenced to 5 months in prison for fraud – The Boston Globe

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Boston man who spent COVID relief money at casino, Saks, and Six Flags sentenced to 5 months in prison for fraud – The Boston Globe


A Boston man received a five-month prison term Friday for obtaining nearly $50,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic relief aid for his purported businesses, funds he instead spent at a casino and a Saks Fifth Avenue store, according to Acting US Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office.

Antawn Davis, 40, learned his fate in US District Court in Boston, where he had pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud and making false statements, federal prosecutors said. Davis was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $49,999 in restitution and forfeiture.

In April and May of 2021, Davis submitted bogus loan applications for the Paycheck Protection Program, meant to help businesses hurt by the pandemic, prosecutors said in a statement.

“The applications contained multiple false statements, including the purported business’ total gross income in 2020, and the purpose of the loan,” prosecutors said. “Davis also submitted false tax records in support of his loan applications.”

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Davis received nearly $50,000 in public funds, money that he promptly spent “on non-business-related expenses, including transactions at a casino and at Saks Fifth Avenue.”

Within weeks of getting the taxpayer funds, Davis “spent nearly the entirety of the proceeds on non-business-related expenses through a series of transactions, including for example, at Champs Sports, a casino, a zoo, Six Flags, and Saks Fifth Avenue,” prosecutors said.

“The defendant spent the funds on shopping and recreational excursions,” they said. “No portion of the loan proceeds went toward keeping a business running or employees paid.”

In a recent sentencing memo, Davis’s lawyer, John H. Cunha Jr., asked that his client be spared prison time.

“He is a 40-year-old man, motivated by his personal and professional responsibilities as a father of four and a chef, who has worked to turn his life around,” Cunha wrote. “He requests a sentence of 36 months’ probation, which is ‘sufficient, but not greater than necessary’ to achieve the purposes of sentencing set forth” in federal law.

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“The seriousness of Mr. Davis’ offense is mitigated by his remorse and desire to pay restitution,” he said. “There is no need to incarcerate Mr. Davis to prevent recidivism.”

Davis had thought about buying a food truck with the money but “determined there was a three-year waiting period” for a city permit, his lawyer said.

“He then spent some of the money paying bills, including a car payment, but also frittered some of it away, including by gambling, a regular pursuit, although he does not believe his gambling is problematic,” Cunha wrote.


Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.

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Boston, MA

Man sustains life-threatening injuries in shooting in Boston

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Man sustains life-threatening injuries in shooting in Boston


A man sustained life-threatening injuries after being shot in Dorchester Tuesday afternoon, Boston Police said.

Officers went to 77 Bowdoin Ave. at 3:15 p.m. for a report of a person shot, said Sgt. Det. John Boyle, the department’s chief spokesman. At the scene, police found a man had been shot and took him to a hospital.

The man’s injuries were initially believed to be non-life-threatening, but police later said his injuries were more severe.

Homicide detectives were called to the scene, Boyle said.

The shooting remains under investigation and no arrests have been made, Boyle said.

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Charlie McKenna is a reporter on the public safety team at MassLive. Based in Boston, he covers the entire state. Before joining MassLive, McKenna worked for The Daily Item, where he covered Saugus, and on The…

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Boston ranks among best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving — and tops New England

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Boston ranks among best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving — and tops New England


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Boston was the only New England city to make WalletHub’s list of the top 100 Thanksgiving destinations — and its restaurant scene helped secure a top 20 spot.

Willow & Ivy Thanksgiving meal. CHRISTOPHER SMITH

Planning to spend Thanksgiving in Boston? You’re in one of the best cities in the country to do it, according to a new report from WalletHub.

The study ranked the 100 best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving based on factors like volunteer rates, weather, safety, and Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions. Boston came in 18th overall — and was the only New England city to make the list.

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Boston’s vibrant restaurant scene helped secure its spot in the top 20. The city ranked No. 1 in the country for the number of restaurants with Yelp ratings of at least 4.5 stars or higher, giving those spending the holiday in the city plenty of dining options for a Thanksgiving meal or weekend outing.

Boston also scored well for “Giving Thanks,” a measure which included volunteer hours per capita, charities per capita, and income donated to charities.


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Cities in Texas and California cities dominated the top of WalletHub’s list, with San Antonio, Texas taking first place overall.

“The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history. Other features make individual cities stand out; for example, San Antonio has great weather, Atlanta has a fantastic track record for on-time flights and Virginia Beach has surprisingly affordable accommodations,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.

The report also shared that the average American spends $235 over the five-day Thanksgiving period — and 71% aim to avoid talking politics at the dinner table.

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Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving






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Boston Globe Sports Report: Episode 3 – The Boston Globe

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Boston Globe Sports Report: Episode 3 – The Boston Globe






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