Conrad Brandon Bernard, a 24-year-old resident of Miami, has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison for committing bank fraud and identity theft. The sentencing was announced on March 6, 2025, following his scheme to illegally obtain over $1 million through COVID-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments.
The fraudulent activities began around May 2020 and continued until December 2022. Bernard misused the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program by applying for loans using stolen identities. "Bernard fraudulently applied for fourteen EIDLs using the name and personal identifying information (PII) of other individuals without their knowledge or consent." Once approved by the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), these funds were redirected to bank accounts controlled by Bernard.
In addition to the EIDL fraud, Bernard also targeted unemployment insurance programs across several states including West Virginia and Arizona. He utilized stolen identities to apply for benefits, resulting in fraudulent transfers into accounts he controlled.
The investigation revealed that Bernard possessed counterfeit identification documents and had access to personal data of thousands of individuals. The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office and the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO).
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne stated that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deric Zacca, Suzanne Nebesky, and Mitchell Hyman are handling prosecution and asset forfeiture matters respectively.
This case falls under the broader efforts of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force established by the Attorney General in May 2021 to address pandemic-related fraud issues. The Southern District of Florida's U.S. Attorney’s Office is one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams aimed at combating large-scale pandemic relief fraud.
For those with information about attempted COVID-19 related fraud, reports can be made via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or their web complaint form.
Court documents related to this case are available under case number 24-cr-60168 on the Southern District of Florida's court website.