Legal Issues

Philadelphia Lawyer Sentenced to Prison For Fraud, Tax Evasion

Philadelphia Lawyer Sentenced to Prison For Fraud, Tax Evasion

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based lawyer has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud and tax evasion. 

Jonathan Olivetti will serve 27 months in prison, per a sentence handed down by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. Olivetti was found guilty of wire fraud related to a scheme he orchestrated to fraudulently collect COVID-19 pandemic relief money he was not entitled to, mail fraud, and tax evasion.

GettyImages-105790462_resized_jail
Credit: Luis Argerich/Getty Images

According to an official release from the IRS, Olivetti engaged in his scam between June 2020 and February 2021. The attorney applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for his law firm, Olivetti Law, LLC. These two loan programs were expanded and enhanced by President Joe Biden's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act, which was signed into law in March 2020.

The legislation was designed to assist Americans -- specifically small business owners -- who were struggling financially as a direct result of the pandemic. 

While applying for his PPP loans, the court asserted that Olivetti made "materially false representations" by reporting that the payroll of Olivetti Law, LLC was higher than it actually was. The defendant received $41,600 from the federal government based upon these false numbers.

Furthermore, Olivetti applied for two EIDL loans. Designed to provide low-interest financing to small businesses that were facing "substantial financial disruption," these loans offered tax-forgivable $10,000 advances.  Olivetti Law attempted to obtain $62,500 in EIDL funding, but was ultimately not approved by the Small Business Administration (SBA)

PPP-loan-bag-GettyImages-1295830489-2100
Credit: Getty Images

In addition to his COVID-19 relief scam, Olivetti also embezzled the sum of $91,991.28 from an estate that his law firm was representing. He also evaded taxes between November 9, 2015, and July 15, 2020, by illegally hiding money and lying to an IRS Officer.

It has not been confirmed where Olivetti, who previously practiced law in Scranton, will serve his prison term.

What do you think about Olivetti's case?

You Might Also Enjoy:

Feature Image Credit: Image Source/Getty Images

share this post
Search for matches...
Rebekah Barton

Rebekah Barton

Rebekah's search engine optimization career began completely by accident as a college student. Over the course of her career so far, she has "grown up" with the SEO industry, from writing content while juggling classes to managing her own teams of writers and overseeing SEO strategy in subsequent roles. She is excited to bring her passion for high-quality content to CountingWorks, Inc.

Recommended Professionals

In the face of economic uncertainty, TaxBuzz is the industry's most up-to-date tax information.

Join 60,000 who get our weekly newsletter. No spam.

Need help selecting a firm?

Use our specialized search engine and get matched to the best accounting and tax firm for your needs.

Related Posts

Latest Posts