Two men are facing federal prison after defrauding the federal government of over $187,000 in Lenoir County.
Daquan Copeland, 35, of Houston, and Esless White Sr., 51, of Jamaica, New York, have pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
According to investigators, Copeland and White sought for emergency rental assistance under the North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions program (NC HOPE).
The men, along with others, submitted forged tenant leases for various homes in Lenoir County to support their applications. Authorities reported 23 false applications, resulting in the theft of almost $187,000 in government housing payments for personal use by the guys.
“These two leeches bled dollars from federal programs designed to help those in need,” U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle charged. “Now they sit, waiting for the gavel of justice to strike their sentence. Anyone who defrauds any of our taxpayer-funded programs will be held accountable. Know this: we are watching, and we will catch and convict you. Crime Does Not Pay! Cheaters. “Never. Win.”
Copeland and White, Sr. will be sentenced later this year. Both men face a maximum of 30 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.
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