Marisela Nuno COVID-19 relief fraud charges, Digi Mart USA News (Los Angeles): A Los Angeles woman was charged with federal offenses after allegedly defrauding emergency COVID-19 relief programs of $18 million, according to the Justice Department.
Marisela Nuno, 53, was charged Tuesday with allegedly defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Both are federal stimulus programs authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The Justice Department said Nuno allegedly obtained funds by submitting false and fraudulent loan applications that collectively sought more than $15.7 million in PPP funds and more than $2.6 million in EIDL funds. Prosecutors allege she knowingly submitted applications containing false statements and gross revenues for businesses she owned, and included false tax documentation.
After receiving the pandemic relief funds, Nuno allegedly used the money to purchase private property, cover business startup costs, and make payments to family members, according to court documents cited by the Justice Department.
Nuno was charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. She could face a maximum of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years on the money laundering count.
The CARES Act was signed into law by President Trump in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The act provided $2 trillion in economic relief to support businesses and help them avoid laying off workers.
In a separate case, a California couple was convicted in 2021 of illegally obtaining $20 million in COVID-relief funds. The Justice Department said the pair used dozens of fake, stolen, or synthetic identities, including names belonging to elderly or deceased people and foreign exchange students, to submit fraudulent applications for approximately 150 PPP and EIDL loans.
A California businessman was also charged in 2025 after allegedly swindling more than $14 million in pandemic loans. He allegedly used the funds to rent a villa, travel across the country on private jets, and purchase luxury cars, including a Rolls Royce and a Land Rover.
