Chinese National Arrested For Trying To Steal $20 Million In Coronavirus Relief Funds

Federal law enforcement officials arrested Chinese national Muge Ma, 36, who goes by the name Hummer Mars, on Thursday for allegedly trying to steal $20 million from U.S. taxpayers that was intended to help American businesses devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Justice said in a statement announcing the charges:

In connection with loan applications for relief available from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program, MA falsely represented to the SBA and five financial institutions that his companies, New York International Capital LLC (“NYIC”) and Hurley Human Resources LLC (“Hurley”), had hundreds of employees and paid millions of dollars in wages to those employees, when, in fact, MA appears to have been the only employee of his companies. MA’s company NYIC also fraudulently represented that it was representing New York State in procuring COVID-19 test kits and personal protective equipment to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are many people in desperate need of federal money right now to get them through an unbelievably difficult time,” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr said. “The last thing they need to hear is that a fraudster allegedly tried to steal millions of dollars for his own selfish use. "

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