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.”

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.

“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.