SBA - U.S. Small Business Administration
01/15/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/15/2026 08:55
Tampa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing More Than Half a Million Dollars in COVID Relief Funds
News release
Tampa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing More Than Half a Million Dollars in COVID Relief Funds
Published on January 15, 2026 by Office of Inspector General
Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release
Terrance Bradford (47, Tampa) was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to 30 months in federal prison for obtaining multiple fraudulent COVID relief loans. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture of $533,648.32, which represents the proceeds he obtained through these offenses. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, between April 2020 and March 2021, Bradford devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan ("EIDL") and Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loan applications. On these applications, Bradford was asked whether he was suspended from contracting with the federal government or whether he was presently in bankruptcy. In response to each question, Bradford answered "no." Despite Bradford's certifications, based on a prior investigation from the Department of Labor, Bradford was excluded from receiving any federal contracts or grants. Furthermore, Bradford's business was in bankruptcy proceedings when he submitted his applications. By concealing this information on his loan applications, Bradford obtained $533,648.32 in COVID relief funds to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky is handling the forfeiture.
Related programs: COVID EIDL, Pandemic Oversight, PPP
SBA - U.S. Small Business Administration published this content on January 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 15, 2026 at 14:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]