Individuals and criminal organizations have used fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds for a variety or purposes, including both legitimate and illicit expenses. Not exactly sure which expense tuition falls under, but that is what Geary Simon paid for with the proceeds he received from his fraudulent COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance application.
Washington D.C. disbursed federal funds for rental assistance through Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C. (STAY D.C.), to provide financial assistance during the COVID pandemic to help tenants cover housing and utility expenses due to a loss of income. Simon applied to the program on June 22, 2021. In his application, Simon claimed that he was a tenant who rented a property in the District at 2433 H Street, NW, that his landlord was “Robert Sutton,” and that Simon owed “Robert Sutton” $72,000 in past due rent…none of which was true! Simon was not a tenant at that address, nor was “Robert Sutton” Simon’s landlord. Needless to say, Simon did not owe “Robert Sutton” or any landlord $72,000! Simon had also created a fraudulent phone number and email account under “Robert Sutton’s” name. Everything in the application was false, except Simon’s name and mailing address, which no surprise was different than the supposed apartment he rented.
DC-DHS granted Simon’s application and issued Simon a check of $38,560, which Simon deposited into an account in the name of “The Geary Stephen Simon 2016 Irrevocable Trust.” He then used the taxpayer-backed relief funds to pay private school tuition and to satisfy his court-ordered child support obligations.
On July 10, 2025, Simon was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Excellent job by the FBI in this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “DC man sentenced to prison after defrauding COVID support program, illegally owning gun” published by DC News Now on July 10, 2025.
A D.C. man and repeat offender was sentenced to prison Thursday for defrauding a rental housing assistance program of tens of thousands of dollars and for owning a gun. The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia announced that 71-year-old Geary Simon was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Simon defrauded the Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C. (STAY DC) program out of more than $38,000. The taxpayer-funded program was set to give tenants help with covering housing and utility bills after a loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
