Florida couple pleads guilty to $881K COVID-19 relief fraud

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A Florida couple has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Court records show Amber Bruey pleaded guilty Wednesday in Fort Myers federal court to multiple fraud charges. Her husband, Anthony Bruey, pleaded guilty to the same charges last month. According to court documents, the Brueys conspired to submit a total of 26 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to the Small Business Administration, as well as approved lenders and loan processing companies, between April 2020 and June 2020. The documents say lenders and the SBA approved 12 of the loans, allowing the Brueys to collect about $881,000.