A US Man Spent $57K On A Pokemon Card After Lying On His COVID-19 Relief Aid Application
Gotta catch 'em all!
A U.S. businessman who lied in his application for COVID-19 relief aid spent more than US$57,000 on a Pokemon card, federal prosecutors say.
Vinath Oudomsine is alleged to have made false statements regarding his company's gross revenue and the numbers of employees when he applied for business relief in July 2020.
He received US$85,000 following his application but federal prosecutors investigating his spending allege that he spent the majority of the money (US$57,789) on a Pokemon card.
His Pokemon card of choice is not mentioned in the charges documentation. The rarest cards can fetch huge sums of money and some fan-made ones even include holographic images of celebrities, such as Drake and The Weeknd.
Prosecutors say he "unjustly enriched himself" by claiming the relief money, which was meant to help support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to NPR, the two defence attorneys representing Oudomsine declined to comment.