Miami, FL – A former lieutenant of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Detention stands accused of wire fraud, involving the illicit acquisition of approximately $167,750 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The charges were announced following allegations that Ernest Bernard Gonder Jr., 41, from Port St. Lucie, submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of his businesses, EBG Properties LLC and The Impact Center of Broward County Inc., in early April 2021.
According to official documents, Gonder misrepresented the average monthly payroll expenses and the number of employees of EBG Properties in an application dated April 1, 2021. He allegedly supported this application with counterfeit IRS Forms 941, leading a New Jersey-based Small Business Administration (SBA) approved lender to disburse $106,540 to a bank account under his control.
Days later, on April 6, Gonder is accused of filing another fraudulent application for The Impact Center of Broward County, similarly inflating payroll and employee figures and submitting falsified IRS documentation. This resulted in a further $61,210 being issued by the same lender.
The allegations extend to Gonder’s personal gain from these funds and his successful attempts to have these loans forgiven, effectively absolving him from repayment.
Gonder faced the judiciary for the first time regarding these charges on January 30, in a federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Convictions could lead to a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, alongside Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge at the FRB-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony. The investigation was conducted collaboratively by the FBI Miami, FRB-CFPB Office of Inspector General, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco managing asset forfeiture aspects of the case.