Three Chicago Police Department employees, including a sergeant, are facing termination for allegedly defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brings the total number of sustained PPP fraud cases to eleven, according to Deborah Witzburg, the retiring Inspector General.
Witzburg is accusing the sergeant of obtaining nearly $40,000 in loans through two separate applications, including a pair of PPP loans and a small business loan for $6,000. She also claims that the sergeant's former partner received a PPP loan with identical information, suggesting a possible scheme to obtain more funds.
Additionally, three other employees - a police civilian and two others - are facing potential termination over allegations of PPP fraud. The cases are awaiting responses from city department heads, but Witzburg has already referred several to criminal authorities for further action.
The new developments come as Witzburg is nearing the end of her four-year term in office, during which time she has vowed to combat public benefit and campaign finance abuses. Despite her efforts, she cited challenges in completing all cases due to limited resources.
Witzburg emphasized that her priority is to prevent individuals from misusing public benefits but also ensure those who do are held accountable. She expressed concern about the slow pace of investigations, stating that it is crucial to reach conclusions with high confidence when dealing with issues of public benefit fraud.
The Chicago Police Department's actions are part of a broader trend of PPP fraud across government agencies nationwide. Federal charges have been filed against two former police officers accused of bilking the program out of $2 million.
Witzburg is accusing the sergeant of obtaining nearly $40,000 in loans through two separate applications, including a pair of PPP loans and a small business loan for $6,000. She also claims that the sergeant's former partner received a PPP loan with identical information, suggesting a possible scheme to obtain more funds.
Additionally, three other employees - a police civilian and two others - are facing potential termination over allegations of PPP fraud. The cases are awaiting responses from city department heads, but Witzburg has already referred several to criminal authorities for further action.
The new developments come as Witzburg is nearing the end of her four-year term in office, during which time she has vowed to combat public benefit and campaign finance abuses. Despite her efforts, she cited challenges in completing all cases due to limited resources.
Witzburg emphasized that her priority is to prevent individuals from misusing public benefits but also ensure those who do are held accountable. She expressed concern about the slow pace of investigations, stating that it is crucial to reach conclusions with high confidence when dealing with issues of public benefit fraud.
The Chicago Police Department's actions are part of a broader trend of PPP fraud across government agencies nationwide. Federal charges have been filed against two former police officers accused of bilking the program out of $2 million.
This is so messed up, right? I mean, we're talking about people who were supposed to be protecting us, and instead they're trying to scam the system for their own gain 
. It's like, what even is the point of having a system in place if you're just gonna try to cheat your way through it? 
And the fact that it's happening in multiple departments across the country is super concerning 
. I'm all for making sure those who misuse public benefits are held accountable, but come on, can't we do better than this?! 
This is getting outta hand, you know? 
I mean, I get it, we need to hold people accountable for misusing public benefits, but it's like they're trying to take advantage of a system meant to help people during a pandemic 
. The fact that there are multiple cases and it's not just one or two isolated incidents is just...ugh 
. And the lack of resources is a big part of the problem - if we're gonna make a difference, we need more people working on this stuff 
.
. We gotta be patient, you know? And let's hope that these cases get resolved properly so people can trust the system again 
but at the same time, you gotta hold people accountable when they break the law. it's not okay to use public funds for personal gain 
can't wait to see how this all plays out 
It's not just about the money, it's about the trust and integrity of the system. I know we're all human and make mistakes, but this is just plain wrong. 
and now another 3 cops in ChiTown are getting axed too? like what's good?! Witzburg is tryin to do her thing but those resources are tight fam? she needs more juice to get all these cases done ASAP 
cant have ppl just wavin' their public $$$ around like that 
The fact that they were getting loans for personal use and using the same info for someone else's loan is just sickening. 
.
. I mean, we've got a whole wave of PPP fraud sweeping across government agencies nationwide 
We need more people like Deborah Witzburg who are willing to take on these cases and make some noise 
.
. We deserve better from our law enforcement 
it's like they were literally trying to steal from the system when everyone was struggling during the pandemic 
... how can you even justify that? I get that Witzburg is trying to crack down on abuse, but this is just so blatant and irresponsible. I mean, the fact that there are already eleven cases and more are pending just shows a pattern of corruption and greed. It's not about being tough on people who misuse public benefits, it's about doing your job right and following the law.
. And now we're hearing about two other cops facing potential termination? This just shows that Witzburg has her work cut out for her if she wants to make any real progress on this issue.
