Crime & Safety
A Georgia Man Spent $57K To Buy A Pokemon Card Using COVID Relief Money: Prosecutors
Vinath Oudomsine of Dublin, GA, bilked the COVID relief business loan program to buy a collectible cartoon trading card, prosecutors said.
GEORGIA — Federal prosecutors say a Dublin, Georgia, man used the bulk of the money he scammed off the government’s COVID-19 relief business loan program to buy a $57,789 Pokemon card.
Vinath Oudomsine is being charged with federal wire fraud for filing a bogus online application with the Small Business Administration for the Economic Injury Disaster Loans made available to companies impacted by the global pandemic through the CARES Act.
According to court documents obtained by Patch, Oudomsine claimed on the July 14, 2020 application that he owned a company of 10 employees that grossed $235,000 over 12 months. Within weeks, $85,000 was deposited into his bank account based on the information he supplied in the SBA application process, prosecutors said.
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In early January, prosecutors said Oudomsine bought the collectible trading card.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison plus a $250,000 fine if convicted, court officials said.
Find out what's happening in Across Georgiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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