A Broward County man, Willie F. Murray Jr., has been sentenced to five years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven also ordered Murray to forfeit over $5.6 million in currency, more than $1.5 million from a bank account, and six properties located across various Florida cities including Punta Gorda and Fort Lauderdale.
Murray, aged 55 from West Park, entered a guilty plea on September 20, 2024. He was involved with Lab Tess LLC, a company that falsely claimed to provide COVID-19 testing services. Instead of delivering these services, Murray submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Court documents revealed that Murray used personal information of individuals who were incarcerated or falsely reported as tested at shelters and substations, as well as deceased persons' identities. Through this scheme, he filed over 126,000 false claims amounting to approximately $5.67 million.
The investigation into Murray's activities was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service alongside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Pizzo and Suzanne Nebesky prosecuted the case.
For those with information regarding attempted COVID-19 frauds, reports can be made through the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline or via their online complaint form.