Department of Justice goes after COVID funding fraudsters in Oregon

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the U.S. Small Business Administration announced the launch of “Operation No Doze” on Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the operation aims to recover $1.2 billion in Covid-19 relief funding it says was fraudulently taken, and they’re now looking at people in Oregon.

“Pandemic era relief programs were created to help small businesses survive, not to provide a payday for fraudsters,” said Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration, William Kirk.

Since June, the DOJ said it has recovered almost $16 million in COVID relief funds in Oregon. In addition, several arrests and indictments have already been made against people the DOJ said have fraudulently used pandemic relief funding.

“Small businesses are our nation’s biggest job creators. They’re also among our biggest taxpayers. And like every taxpayer, they deserve the right to know their money is not being siphoned away by fraudsters,” said another official from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

As FOX 12 reported last month, government officials said one suspect is Ramzy Peter Hattar, owner of the River Pig Saloon in Portland’s Pearl District.

Hattar is accused of using emergency relief funds to prop up a completely different business in Eugene that had already closed before the pandemic. Officials said he walked away with nearly $350,000 in relief funding. Hattar did not respond to our previous request for comment.

The DOJ shared a message for those suspected of fraudulently taking pandemic relief funding:

“We know who you are, we know where you live,” Kirk said. “Do not mistake the passage of time for lack of interest or commitment. Accountability is coming.”

The DOJ believes 2,300 people misused COVID relief funding in Oregon alone. They expect that number of recovered funds to rise significantly by the end of the year.