PROVIDENCE. R.I. (WPRI) — A Warwick man who, together with an confederate, fraudulently utilized for tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in coronavirus reduction funds meant for small companies was sentenced to 3 years of probation Wednesday.

Prosecutors mentioned David Butziger, 53, admitted that he and David Staveley, 54, of Andover, tried to defraud the federal Paycheck Safety Program (PPP) by searching for $543,959 in forgivable loans.

Prosecutors mentioned the pair claimed to have dozens of staff incomes wages at 4 companies that weren’t open for enterprise previous to the beginning of the pandemic.

Butziger and Staveley have been the primary two individuals within the nation to be accused of fraudulently searching for pandemic reduction loans once they have been charged in Might 2020.

Staveley, who initially faked his personal dying and spent a number of months on the run earlier than he was apprehended, pleaded responsible final Might. He was sentenced to serve practically 5 years behind bars.

Butziger pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud in October 2020. He should spend the primary six months of his supervised launch in confinement, and has additionally been ordered to pay a $5,000 superb.