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.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that they are reuniting with safety Eric Rowe by signing him to their practice squad.

The moves comes after Rowe worked out for the Steelers alongside Marquise Blair last week.

After Pittsburgh released Terrell Edmunds ahead of its Week 10 matchup with the Washington Commanders, there was a clear need for additional safety depth. While Rowe won’t immediately become a member of the 53-man roster, there’s certainly a path towards that resolution down the line.

Rowe joined the Steelers’ practice squad late last season on Nov. 20, 2023. He eventually found his way into a major role as they secured a playoff spot, starting each of the team’s final three games while logging 155 snaps.

The 32-year-old also earned 57 reps in Pittsburgh’s Super Wild Card Weekend meeting with the Buffalo Bills. Rowe was not brought back during the offseason, and remained on the open market until he signed with the Steelers on Tuesday morning.

He began his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles as a second-round pick in 2015, though he was traded to the New England Patriots just a year later.

The Utah product spent three seasons there, winning Super Bowls LI and LIII in the process, before becoming a member of the Miami Dolphins in 2019 and staying there through 2022. Rowe was rostered by the Carolina Panthers in 2023, though he was let go at final cuts that August.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA (WFSB) – Smoke from a large fire in Massachusetts wafted into Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said on Tuesday morning that smoke from the fire in Great Barrington traveled south into the state.

“Many residents from Southington to New Haven and beyond may be noticing a strong smell of smoke and haze [Tuesday] morning,” DEEP said.

DEEP said that Tuesday’s weather conditions caused smoke to spread widely and stay close to the ground. That’s what made it more noticeable.

“Local officials are monitoring the situation,” it said. “If you’re sensitive to smoke, consider staying indoors and keeping windows closed until conditions improve.”

More on the forecast can be read in the technical discussion from Channel 3’s meteorologists here.

Copyright 2024 WFSB. All rights reserved.