Ever wonder if anything happens to people who conduct phone and internet scams? Too often not enough to stop them from committing more fraud. On December 18, 2018, Tompkins was indicted by a Minnehaha County Grand jury for grand theft by deception. Masking behind a sham collection agency, Tompkins schemed to steal more than $700,000 from the elderly. Thompkins was successful in stealing $40,000. A six percent success rate is low but better than nothing. In any event, the damage for the victim was substantial, but not totally devastating. In August of 2020, Tompkins received a 10-year prison sentence for his crimes in South Dakota, that was eventually suspended. Instead, he was given five years’ probation and a fine. Not the end for this fraudster though. In May of 2020, three months before his sentencing for fraud, Tompkins committed fraud again. This time, he didn’t limit himself to the elderly. He included all the U.S. taxpayers.
On April 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging Tomkins with wire fraud involving Covid-19 relief funds. The indictment says that Tompkins applied for a COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loan, for his business, J&B Construction. A business that this time appears not to be a sham. But on his application for a $95,000 loan, Tompkins checked a box saying he was not the subject of any criminal indictment. The Small Business Administration excluded entrepreneurs who were pending felony charges from receiving COVID-19 loans.
Tompkins first received a $95,000 loan in May of 2020. Then, in Nov. 2021, he applied for another loan, this time for almost $300,000. At this point, Tompkins had been convicted on three counts of fraud when he responded no on his loan application!
On April 18, 2024, Tompkins was indicted for COVID-19 fraud. Excellent job by the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Kenai Peninsula contractor charged with COVID-19 relief fraud” published by the Anchorage Daily News on April 18, 2024
The owner of a Sterling construction company was arrested this week on federal charges that accuse him of illegally obtaining COVID-19 relief funds.
Kent Tompkins, 55, was indicted last month on two counts of wire fraud. He appeared in Anchorage’s U.S. District Court for the first time Wednesday.Tompkins declined to comment on the case when reached by phone on Thursday.
