A D.C. pastor is under investigation after he allegedly made fraudulent applications to the Paycheck Protection Program then used the money to make personal purchases, including a 2018 Tesla Model 3 for $60k, according to court records obtained by The Daily Beast.
Kingdom Tabernacle pastor Rudolph Brooks Jr. allegedly submitted three PPP loan applications totalling $3.5 million on behalf of his companies Cars Direct, Kingdom Tabernacle, and Madaro Celtic Bank using faked tax and payroll forms that had never been filed with the IRS.
When Brooks received the money, he split it among 11 of his personal bank accounts and used it take care of personal expenses including buying the Tesla in July last year, making a $10,000 deposit on a home, covering credit card bills, and buying groceries and meals at restaurants.
Federal prosecutors have since seized the car and his bank accounts.
The Paycheck Protection Program originated from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and made loans available to small businesses to encourage them to retain or rehire employees that have been furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic.