Posted on 03/21/2023 6:55:29 PM PDT by Coronal
ORLANDO, Fla. – Joseph Harding, the former Florida representative who resigned in December after he was indicted on federal fraud charges, has taken a plea deal from the U.S. Justice Department.
On Tuesday, Harding, who represented part of Marion County in the Florida House of Representatives, entered guilty pleas to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of making false statements. The rest of the counts against him will be dropped.
Harding was indicted by a federal grand jury in December for using two inactive companies to apply for COVID-19 relief loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, getting some $150,000.
At the time, Harding entered a plea of not guilty and said in an email that he repaid the government for the loan money he had gotten, which is reflected in the plea agreement.
Harding faces a maximum term of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud charge alone. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for money laundering and a maximum of five years in prison for false statements.
It will be up to a federal judge, however, to decide what sentence Harding will get. Sentencing is set for July 25 at 11 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Gainesville.
(Excerpt) Read more at clickorlando.com ...
Not surprised - the money was being thrown out of helicopters in the Covid inspired programs (PPP, etc.) and they’ll be prosecuting the fraud cases for the next decade from that. I have no sympathy for this schmuck or any of the others who ripped off taxpayers.
Do not know this fellow at all or his district, but I have to wonder if the investigation was triggered by some general surveillance or if something was perhaps thrown over the transom at the FBI by some LGBTQ+ activist. Just sayin’.
Harding was in his first term as a legislator, and was a solidly conservative Republican in case anyone is wondering why he may have been singled out for prosecution.
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