Federal prosecutors charged state Rep. Joe Harding of defrauding the federal COVID-19 loan program for small businesses.
The indictment alleges that between December 2020 and March 2021 the legislator committed two acts of wire fraud by participating in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and for using"false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises" to obtain the federal loans.
Overall, Harding allegedly fraudulently obtained and attempted to obtain more than $150,000 in SBA funds. Wire fraud has a maximum sentence of 20 years, money laundering 10 years and making false statements five years.page, Harding said he pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and said he"fully" paid the federal loan.
His is scheduled to appear in federal court January 11 in Gainesville before U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor.that Harding is being temporarily removed from his committee assignments.
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