Federal prosecutors in Miami have announced charges against a National Football League (NFL) player for his alleged involvement in a fraud scheme that sought more than $24 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans meant to help businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Joshua J. Bellamy, 31, of St. Petersburg was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.
Miladis Salgado of Miami, FL, had $15,000 seized from her home in 2015 after what turned out to be an erroneous drug tip. Salgado has worked to get her property back and recoup the costs of defending herself in court. While the government has given back her property, Salgado is still financially worse for wear, and some are calling for the US Supreme Court to examine her case. This is just the latest in a series of high-profile wrongful seizure cases that are causing scrutiny of the practice of civil asset forfeiture.
Salgado was legally separated but still living with her ex-husband Wilson Colorado when the raid occurred. At the time, the Drug Enforcement Agency was tipped off to allegations of drug trafficking against her ex-husband.
Jeffery Epstein, 66, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10th, 2019 of suspected suicide. Epstein had been accused of sexually abusing multiple women as children and was registered as a Level 3 sex offender in November 2011.
His death has ended the almost decade-long criminal case against him. Now, his lawyers have cited civil forfeiture as their way of compensating the women he allegedly sexually abused.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Desmond Terrell Green of Pembroke Pines was arrested on June 26 for his alleged involvement in a DUI car crash that killed two women in 2018.
Green, 29, faces 20 charges, including DUI manslaughter for his role in the crash. Court records show that he was held on $194,000 bond. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.
Mexican telenovela star Pablo Lyle is accused of punching and knocking out 63-year-old Juan Ricardo Hernandez in a Miami street on March 31.
Lyle was arrested on Monday morning by Miami police and charged with battery. He posted $5,000 bond Monday and was given permission to fly back to Mexico. Attorney information was not immediately available.
Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog