SPARTA TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Sussex County) – A Sussex County husband and wife were sentenced to 12 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $790,000 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans, according to U.S. Alina Habba announced.
Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, of Sparta Township, previously plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to wire fraud and money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, from in or around June 2020 through August 2020, Valteri and Haxhillari participated in a fraudulent scheme to receive $790,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program.
Valteri and Haxhillari submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of several businesses that purported to have employees and revenue but were actually shell companies with no business operations. After receiving the EIDL funds based on their fraud, Valteri and Haxhillari diverted the proceeds for their own personal gain.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
