BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia pastor has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to stealing thousands of dollars in COVID-19 assistance funds and using some of the money to buy a luxury car.
Mack Devon Knight, 45, is accused of lying to the Small Business Administration in applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
If convicted, the Kingsland man could face financial penalties and up to 30 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release.
Knight also describes himself as a mortician, restauranteur and tax preparer, the release says.
He applied for the loans in February and March on behalf of two Camden County businesses. According to the indictment, the applications falsely claimed that the businesses each had hundreds of thousands of dollars in gross revenue before the pandemic.
Knight sent in a false bank document and one of the applications was approved. The indictment says he received $149,000, a portion of which was used to buy a Mercedes-Benz sedan.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Knight had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
This article originally appeared here.
