Jonathan Dale Benton:A man claims he operated a food truck to get a pandemic loan. Prosecutors say he was an inmate

2025-05-06 06:57:02source:Sterling Prestoncategory:News

WHEELING,Jonathan Dale Benton W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man who obtained a government loan during the pandemic after falsely claiming he was operating a food truck despite being an inmate at the time has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Anton Demetrius Matthews, previously convicted of wire fraud, cocaine trafficking and a supervised release violation, was ordered in federal court in Wheeling to pay $55,000 in restitution and a money judgment of $50,000, prosecutors said.

Matthews, 40, of Wheeling, obtained nearly $50,000 in federal pandemic relief loans after misrepresenting his income and occupation while he was incarcerated, U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld said in a statement.

The U.S. government loans were granted to businesses that were struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Matthews submitted a loan application in which he claimed to have established a food truck business in Wheeling in January 2019. He was in federal prison from November 2016 until October 2020. After his release from prison, Matthews sold cocaine from a neighborhood bar on Wheeling Island, the statement said.

“We have noticed an uptick in drug traffickers who are also engaging in white collar crime, committing acts such as COVID fraud or income tax fraud,” Ihlenfeld said. “Mr. Matthews is a good example of this trend, and he will pay a steep price for committing two serious, but very different, crimes.”

More:News

Recommend

Elon Musk just gave Nvidia investors one billion reasons to cheer for reported partnership

Two names that consistently dominate headlines are Elon Musk and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Both names o

What is the Nathan's hot dog eating contest record? List of champions, records

Who will be the ones to hot dog around with the Mustard and Ketchup Belts this year and make history

Minnesota prosecutor provides most detailed account yet of shooting deaths of 3 first responders

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police investigating a potential sexual abuse case in a Minneapolis suburb found