A Haitian-born man has had his U.S. citizenship revoked after defrauding COVID-19 relief programs of millions and hiding his criminal activity during the naturalization process, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith revoked the citizenship of 25-year-old Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint of Fort Lauderdale, ruling that he illegally obtained naturalization by making false statements to immigration authorities.
“United States citizenship is one of the greatest privileges our nation can offer, and it must be earned honestly,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “This defendant built his path to citizenship on false statements while stealing millions from programs meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic. The court’s order revoking his citizenship restores accountability and reinforces a simple principle: if you lie to obtain immigration benefits and commit federal crimes, you will lose what you unlawfully gained.”
Between April 2020 and May 2021, Philossaint fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds through companies he owned or controlled and by preparing loan applications for others in exchange for kickbacks. The applications contained false statements about applicants’ revenues and payroll. In total, he and his co-conspirators submitted 40 fraudulent loan applications, securing about $3.8 million in proceeds. Philossaint personally received roughly $549,000 through the scheme.
Philossaint applied for U.S. citizenship in February 2020. During a sworn naturalization interview on December 15, 2020, he concealed his involvement in the fraud and falsely denied committing crimes or misrepresenting information to obtain public benefits. He was granted citizenship on February 9, 2021.
He was later charged on September 8, 2022, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to launder money, and unlawful procurement of citizenship. Philossaint pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges, and a jury found him guilty of unlawfully obtaining citizenship. On June 26, 2023, he was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison.
The citizenship revocation, ordered February 23, 2026, followed a motion by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Osborne and Shannon O’Shea Darsch handled the prosecution.
