Three Albuquerque residents accused of fraudulently taking $1M in pandemic relief funds

Three people from Albuquerque are accused of fraudulently taking more than $1 million in loans and grants related to relief funds for the COVID-19 pandemic.

A federal grand jury indicted Jacqueline Rascon-Chacon, Bryan Gardea and Ricardo Landeros on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy, as well as other charges.

If convicted, the trio face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

“During the global COVID-19 pandemic, trillions of dollars in relief flowed to those in need,” U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez said in a statement. “But a selfish few exploited the good will of the American people and took advantage of a once-in-a-generation public health emergency to enrich themselves. We will investigate and prosecute these fraudsters and recoup money stolen from the American people.”

In the alleged scheme, Rascon-Chacon, Gardea and Landeros fraudulently obtained more than $1 million from programs authorized by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A news release states that Rascon-Chacon and Gardea used false information to obtain two $20,000 business loans, and all three were approved for loans using the names of defunct companies and false application information.

“Rascon-Chacon, Gardea, and Landeros then used these funds for unauthorized expenditures, including paying off personal credit card debt, chartering a private jet from Albuquerque to Las Vegas, Nevada, and hiring a mariachi band,” according to the release.

In addition to those schemes, according to the release, the trio committed money laundering when they used the fraudulently obtained funds to build houses on vacant lots in New Mexico and sell the properties for a profit.