ORLANDO, Fla. — A man from Florida who left the United States and was later caught in Croatia has admitted to stealing more than $7.2 million in COVID-19 relief money and has entered a guilty plea.
According to the records presented in court, Don V. Cisternino, 46, of Chuluota, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday in the federal court in Orlando for the crimes of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illicit monetary transaction. On January 5, he will have his hearing, at which he might be sentenced to up to 32 years in federal prison. As part of a deal with the police, Cisternino has already said that he will give back the money he got through fraud as well as any other assets connected to the crimes.
Cisternino allegedly obtained more than $7.2 million in emergency money by means of a Paycheck Protection Program loan in May of 2020 via false means, as stated in the plea deal. In his application for a PPP loan, Cisternino made a fraudulent statement stating that his company, MagnifiCo, had 441 workers in 2019 and that its monthly payroll expenditures amounted to more than $2.8 million. Cisternino was the only worker for the firm; there were no other workers. Along with his application for a loan, Cisternino included many forged W-2 forms. Many of these forms had the names and Social Security numbers of actual people who had not given him permission to exploit their identities. After receiving the money, Cisternino proceeded to spend it on a Lincoln Navigator, a Maserati, a Mercedes-Benz, and a mansion in Seminole County, Florida, that was 12,579 square feet (1,168 square meters) in size.
According to the authorities, Cisternino ran away to Switzerland after discovering in January 2021 that he was the subject of an investigation for fraud. As a result of an Interpol Red Notice, he was detained in April of that year as he attempted to enter Croatia from Slovenia through Italy. After that, he was sent to the United States on an extradition warrant.
The Paycheck Protection Program will provide Americans who are having difficulty making ends meet as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak with small-business loans totaling billions of dollars that will be forgiven. The funds are required to be utilized for the payment of workers, rent, mortgage interest, and utility bills. It was included in the coronavirus alleviation package that was signed into law by the president in the year 2020.
