Crime

Former VA employee charged with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 benefits

The Brockton man allegedly applied for loans using fraudulent tax documents and making false claims about his revenues.

April 12, 2026 | 10:02 AM

1 minute to read

A former Veterans Affairs employee was charged in federal court Thursday for allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 benefits, prosecutors said.

Jesus Abreu, 38, of Brockton, was indicted on three counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement. Abreu was a food service worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs from November 2021 to March 2022.

Abreu submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in July 2020 and received $32,400. In his application, he allegedly made false claims about his gross revenues, according to prosecutors.

In April 2021, officials said Abreu submitted two applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. He allegedly made false claims in his applications about gross income earned from a sole proprietorship, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Abreu allegedly attached fraudulent tax documents as part of his applications to support these false claims, authorities said. The loan applications were later approved, and he received $41,666, which he allegedly used on personal expenses, according to prosecutors.

However, Abreu allegedly submitted loan forgiveness applications in September 2021 and falsely claimed that the entire $41,666 was spent on payroll, according to officials. These applications were again approved, and his loans were forgiven, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Abreu faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and up to $250,000 in fines, prosecutors said.