Former state representative Carolina Amesty, facing decades in prison on federal charges of COVID relief fraud, has hired Brad Bondi, the brother of U.S. Attorney General candidate Pam Bondi, to defend her, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. Leading Orlando criminal defense attorney and legal analyst José Rivas recently spoke with Telemundo News about the legal and ethical implications of the case.
Covid Relief Fraud Charges Defense
Amesty, 30, who served in the Florida House of Representatives from November 2022 to November 2024, has been charged with two counts of theft of government property. The former legislator allegedly obtained $122,000 in pandemic relief funds through fraudulent means.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charges specifically relate to falsifying records to obtain loans for the Carolina Amesty Foundation and a car dealership. The federal funds were made available to businesses struggling to offset the cost of the economic shutdown during the pandemic.
Defense attorney Rivas said the Department of Justice is generally successful in prosecuting these crimes. “Oftentimes, federal cases have a conviction rate exceeding 90%,” he said. “What the government is looking for here is restitution and possibly additional information that could implicate others involved in the fraud.”
Amesty, of Waldemar, is the second Florida legislator to be charged with PPP loan fraud.
In 2023, Joe Harding, former District 24 Republican representative, pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and providing false statements after illegally obtaining or trying to obtain more than $150,000 in Covid-19 relief loans from the Small Business Administration for two companies. He spent four months in jail.
The Defense Strategy and Potential Conflicts
Amesty’s choice of attorneys to represent her on COVID relief fraud charges raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. But Rivas said it may not be that big of a problem. “The fact that she hired an attorney who is the brother of the attorney general does not necessarily indicate a conflict,” he told Telemundo News. “Remember, the attorney general oversees all assistant prosecutors, and this particular case is being handled in the Central District of Florida, which is not directly supervised by the attorney general.”
The Broader Context of PPP Loan Fraud
This case is part of a larger trend of COVID relief fraud cases that have emerged following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was implemented to help small businesses maintain their workforce during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. However, the program became one of the largest sources of business fraud in U.S. history. Government regulators estimate that more than $60 billion was misappropriated.
- Prosecutors allege Amesty misrepresented gross revenues for several businesses when applying for loans
- Investigators found no evidence to support the employee count Amesty reported in her applications
- Some entities reportedly did not even have bank accounts until after the pandemic began
The Legal Process Ahead
Rivas emphasized that at this stage, the charges of COVID relief fraud are merely allegations and that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration–Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.
If you face COVID relief fraud or similar charges, it’s crucial to seek experienced legal counsel. Call 407-644-2466 to speak with an experienced and aggressive Orlando criminal defense attorney at the Rivas Law Firm.
Orlando Criminal Defense Attorney Jose Rivas is a veteran bilingual TV Legal Analyst who has appeared on Univision, Fox News, Telemundo and many other news outlets.