California woman charged with $18 million COVID relief fraud

Marisela Nuno, 53, faces federal charges for allegedly defrauding two emergency small business relief programs of approximately $18 million. According to the Department of Justice, Nuno is accused of submitting false loan applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which were authorized under the CARES Act.

Court documents state that Nuno allegedly sought over $15.7 million in PPP funds and more than $2.6 million in EIDL funds by providing false statements regarding her businesses and submitting fraudulent tax documentation. The funds were reportedly used to purchase private property, cover business startup costs, and make payments to family members.

Nuno faces three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the money laundering charge carries a maximum of 10 years.