Nearly 2 dozen NYC, state employees arrested in crackdown against COVID-19 relief fraud

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Nearly two dozen New York City and State employees were arrested Wednesday in a crackdown on COVID-19 relief fraud.

Prosecutors say employees from the MTA, the NYPD and other agencies were charged with wire fraud for defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program, or "PPP".

These workers stole millions of dollars from the federal government that was set aside for those in need, officials said. The mainly small dollar fraud cumulatively amounted to millions of misappropriated dollars.

Criminal complaints name 13 defendants so far, but sources say there will be a half dozen more.

The accused workers were employed by a range of agencies, from the Department of Education to the Administration for Children's Services.

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