ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – Detectives with the St. Petersburg Police Section are in the midst of a significant drug trafficking investigation and have produced 30-arrests so far.
Most of the arrests are drug-similar, but in accordance to law enforcement, a handful of the sellers were being working with your tax bucks to fund their procedure.
Police arrested 21-calendar year outdated Dante Payne on Monday. He’s going through many drug rates and a single count of defrauding a economic establishment.
In accordance to the arrest report, he submitted paperwork with the government proclaiming he owned “Brother’s Landscaping Co.” He said the business grossed $128,800 in 2020 and he received $20,832 to deal with payroll and business overhead charges.
“One of the causes they had been equipped to fund their procedure was simply because they were being employing these loans from the authorities that they had gained fraudulently,” claimed Yolanda Fernandez with the St. Petersburg Law enforcement Division. “And they ended up finding sizeable amounts of money. Supposedly to aid these personnel that they didn’t have for these organizations that they did not run. “
Russell Jones is also accused of getting SBA loans. Law enforcement arrested him on Nov. 8. In accordance to the arrest report he claimed he owned a barber shop that grossed $45,681 in 2020. The paperwork indicates he received $9,516 from the authorities to cover payroll and enterprise overhead expenses.
Police arrested Kenneth Davis on Nov. 9. The arrest report does not reveal the type of enterprise he claimed to have, but it did say in 2020 the unnamed organization grossed $105,900 in 2020 and he been given $20,832 from the governing administration.
Marlon Santiago calls it disgusting. He owns an operates a lawful hemp nursery in Pasco County. He has experienced one particular heck of a time having SBA financial loans.
“They’ve just been jerking me about,” stated Santiago. “I actually obtained an e mail from them yesterday acknowledging that the challenge is on their conclude.”
Santiago was dumbfounded when he uncovered accused criminals were acquiring federal government aid.
“People like myself are nonetheless struggling to get the revenue that we ought to be receiving,” reported Santiago. “And you’ve got men who are accomplishing the mistaken way receiving dollars hand about fist.”
