Florida man gets 7 years for $2.6M COVID-19 relief fraud

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison for stealing more than $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Court records show that 35-year-old Daniel Joseph Tisone was sentenced Tuesday in Fort Myers federal court. He pleaded guilty last August to wire fraud, bank fraud, illegal monetary transaction and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Tisone submitted false and fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration and banks between March 2020 and April 2021. Officials say he received a total of 10 loans and used the money to buy two homes, a boat and a diamond ring.