Man charged with over $850K in pandemic fraud offenses

NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Nanticoke man has been charged in a scheme that the Department of Justice said defrauded over $850,000 of emergency pandemic funding.

According to the Department of Justice, Joseph Kaminski, 55, of Nanticoke, defrauded the Small Business Administration (SBA) of over $850,000 in emergency pandemic funding that was made available to small business owners through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

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Kaminski also allegedly fraudulently obtained over $40,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, which he was not entitled to.

Kaminski has been charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements to the SBA.