L.A. Businesswoman Indicted for Alleged $18 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
Marisela Nuño, a 53-year-old businesswoman from Los Angeles, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to an alleged $18 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Prosecutors accuse Nuño of attempting to defraud federal programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, established under the CARES Act. She allegedly secured $4.8 million by filing over two dozen applications for several businesses she owns, providing false information regarding employee numbers, average monthly payroll, and business revenues. In one instance, Nuño reportedly received over $400,000 for a non-operational business, The Nuño Estate, by falsely claiming it had about 20 employees and a significant monthly payroll. Additionally, she is accused of collecting over $300,000 for ineligible cannabis companies by mislabeling them, such as describing one as 'lawn care, commercial.' Nuño faces three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, with pote...
