Clifton attorney admits to illegally obtaining over $300,000 in COVID benefits
Court documents show Morton Chirnomas fraudulently obtained money from a pandemic loan program and from false unemployment insurance benefits under different identities.
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An attorney from Clifton admitted to fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
According to court documents, Morton Chirnomas, 61, fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program from May 2020 to September 2020.
He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names and identities of other people without their authorization, officials say.
Chirnomas could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or at the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
