West Virginia trucking company owner admits to COVID loan fraud totaling $277K

The former owner of a West Virginia trucking company pleaded guilty to charges associated with COVID relief loan fraud, officials say.

Bradley Temple, 48, pleaded guilty to unlawful money transactions, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Temple owned and operated Righteous Brother’s Trucking out of Wheeling, West Virginia.

Officials say that Temple “made false representations regarding the business to obtain $277,456 in loans,” including both a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

Temple is also accused of using the loan funds on unauthorized expenses, “including obtaining a $40,000 cashier’s check to purchase a vehicle.”

Temple faces up to ten years in prison and will be required to pay restitution.

This case was investigated by  Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG). NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force.