A Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy from Sunrise, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale on March 5 of two counts of wire fraud related to a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Stephanie Diane Smith, age 53, who worked as a deputy sheriff in BSO’s Department of Law Enforcement during the scheme, applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2021 under the guise of her businesses, Children 1st Basketball Training and Agape Smith Vending.
However, she provided false information about the businesses’ income in 2019, including submitting falsified IRS tax forms with each application. Smith managed to secure forgiveness for both loans, totaling over $31,000 in principal and interest.
The sentencing is set for May 29 before U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn, with Smith facing a maximum of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud conviction. The court will consider various factors, including the U.S. sentencing guidelines, before determining the sentence.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony of BSO, and other officials.
Smith among several BSO employees charged
Smith was among 17 BSO employees charged in a wide-ranging PPP loan fraud investigation last year.
Sheriff Gregory Tony told reporters in October 2023 that all 17 employees would be fired.
“If they’re being criminally charged, there’s no place for this in this organization and their due process components will be executed and we will go through that process, but this one here is a no-brainer. How can we have anyone wearing a badge that is stealing from the American people?” Tony said at the time.
Smith’s case was investigated by FBI Miami, the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and BSO. Prosecutors David Snider and Trevor Jones are handling the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove overseeing asset forfeiture.
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