New Hampshire businessman charged with bilking government of PPP funds

Jun. 30—A Northwood resident has been formally charged with bilking the federal authorities out of greater than $680,000 in Paycheck Safety Program (PPP) and different loans the federal authorities established to maintain the financial system afloat throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, federal prosecutors introduced.

A federal grand jury returned expenses of financial institution fraud, wire fraud and tried wire fraud in opposition to Joshua Leavitt, 40, in keeping with Jane Younger, the U.S. Legal professional for New Hampshire.

Additionally charged was Pierre Rogers, 43, of Irvine, Calif.

On his LinkedIn web page, Leavitt lists himself as a “begin up man” and chief monetary officer of Yahyn. The Yahyn web site options wines on the market and lists its bodily tackle as 25 Sundial Ave., a transformed mill constructing in Manchester.

The phone quantity listed for Yahyn was out of order, and an e mail despatched to Leavitt by means of one other web site — the cigar-vending web site PuroTrader — was not returned.

In keeping with indictments, Leavitt and Rogers utilized for about $2 million in PPP loans and one other $3 million by means of the Small Enterprise Administration’s Financial Harm Catastrophe Mortgage program.

Prosecutors allege they submitted false paperwork and fabricated tax paperwork that inflated the scale of their payroll. The indictments cost them with receiving $683,000 in loans fraudulently and trying to acquire one other $756,000 in bogus loans.

Rogers allegedly used $107,800 in mortgage proceeds to buy a Rolls-Royce.

Different corporations concerned within the alleged fraud embrace Darkish Issues Associates, Demeter challenge, Monticello Transnational, Puro Lounge, Puro Group and Sunju. All had addresses or operations in New Hampshire.

An e mail left for the federal public defender assigned to Leavitt was not instantly returned.