Local
Phoenix man sentenced to 10 years for nearly $2.2 million in COVID loan fraud
Mohammed Maio, 44, was sentenced to a decade in federal prison after admitting he fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief loans and illegally possessed a firearm. Prosecutors said he used the money in part to buy multiple properties rather than cover business expenses.
A Phoenix man who fraudulently obtained nearly $2.2 million in COVID-19 relief loans and illegally possessed a firearm has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, federal authorities said Oct. 14.
Mohammed Maio, 44, submitted false information to secure loans for businesses that had no employees between May 2020 and March 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. He used the money for personal purposes, including buying multiple properties, prosecutors said.
Maio, a convicted felon, also had his mother purchase a gun for him, prosecutors said. He admitted that she falsely represented the firearm was for her and that he later possessed it illegally.
Maio pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering and firearm-related charges. The sentence addresses both misuse of federal aid intended to support small businesses during the pandemic and his illegal possession of a gun.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said the scheme caused significant financial losses to the federal government and diverted aid from its intended purpose. “Maio’s actions resulted in significant financial loss to the U.S. government and exploited a program intended to provide relief to small businesses during a national crisis,” Courchaine said.