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Law360 (April 10, 2020, 8:25 PM EDT ) A Georgia resident planned to trick the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs out of $750 million by pretending to secure 125 million face masks to help the agency battle the deadly coronavirus pandemic before running off with the money, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.
Christopher Parris, 39, of Atlanta, was arrested and charged in D.C. federal court with wire fraud for trying to sell nonexistent respirator masks and other personal protective equipment to the VA in exchange for huge amounts of upfront payments, according to a press release.
Federal prosecutors allege Parris lied to the VA, saying he could secure 125 million face masks, respirator masks and other personal protective equipment that would have totaled more than $750 million. He promised he could obtain millions of 3M Company masks from U.S. factories, despite knowing he could never fulfill the orders, prosecutors said.
"As this case demonstrates, even beyond the typical costs associated with unlawful behavior, COVID-19 scams divert government time and resources and risk preventing front-line responders and consumers from obtaining the equipment they need to combat this pandemic," Attorney General William Barr said in a statement Friday. "The Department of Justice will not tolerate this conduct, especially when it involves this kind of egregious attempt to target and defraud our nation's treasures — our veterans."
After his arrest Friday, Parris appeared in Atlanta federal court, where he was ordered to remain in custody, the DOJ said. He will be extradited to the District of Columbia, according to prosecutors.
"During this time of crisis, fraud or attempted fraud impacting services for veterans, who have selflessly served this country, is unconscionable," U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Timothy Shea said in a statement Friday. "My office will devote whatever resources are necessary to stop scams aimed at exploiting Americans during this unprecedented pandemic."
If convicted of wire fraud, Parris faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.
Contact information for Parris was not immediately available.
Federal prosecutors have had their hands full lately with alleged coronavirus scams and schemes.
On April 1, prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles said a British man tried to ship a fake "miracle cure" labeled as a treatment for the novel coronavirus from the United Kingdom to California and Utah in an effort to make money off the deadly pandemic.
On April 6, investigators from the U.S. attorney's office in Pittsburgh said they broke up a fake sale of medical masks to protect against the new coronavirus, potentially saving California-based Kaiser Permanente from spending more than $7 million on nonexistent equipment.
The government is represented by Patrick Runkle of the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch, and Peter Lallas and Zia Faruqui of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
Counsel information for Parris was not immediately available.
Case information was not immediately available.
--Additional reporting by Matthew Santoni. Editing by Jack Karp.
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