Florida man loses U.S. citizenship in $3.8M Covid-19 relief fraud scheme; could face deportation

A man living in Florida has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship after being convicted in a multimillion-dollar Covid-19 fraud case, according to a federal court ruling.The decision was made by a U.S. judge who found that the man, Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, obtained citizenship illegally and later participated in a large fraud scheme related to pandemic relief funds. The case involves approximately $3.8 million in fraudulent claims related to government aid programs introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.Prosecutors said the man provided false details to obtain loans and aid intended to help struggling businesses. These schemes were set up to help companies and workers during the lockdown. Instead, he spent the money on himself.The fraud involved multiple applications submitted using false or misleading information. The man lied about business operations and financial losses to qualify for assistance. The scheme continued until discovered by investigators.The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the case as part of a crackdown on pandemic-related fraud. Since 2020, federal agencies have investigated thousands of cases involving misuse of relief funds, including false loan applications and identity fraud.In addition to the fraud conviction, the court also examined how the man became a U.S. citizen in the first place. The judge found that he had not been completely truthful during the naturalization process. Under U.S. law, citizenship may be revoked if it was obtained through misrepresentation or concealment of material facts.Based on these findings, the court ordered that his citizenship be revoked. This process, called decitizenization, removes the legal status of citizenship and can lead to further immigration action, including possible deportation.