WINDERMERE, Fla. — Federal prosecutors are no longer pursuing a criminal case against former Windermere state representative Carolina Amesty.
Wednesday evening, prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges hours after attorney Brad Bondi said the government had withdrawn its grand jury subpoenas and ceased its criminal investigation.
Amesty learned of the development late last month.
The former representative had been charged with crimes related to a pandemic-era relief program, commonly known as PPP.
According to prosecutors’ original filing, Amesty and a relative received more than $500,000 across 15 COVID-19 disaster loans, which were a part of the March 2020 CARES Act given to small businesses to offset the cost of the economic shutdown and maintain payroll.
Prosecutors say Amesty falsified the gross revenues connected to many of her businesses when applying for the loans, and they were unable to find evidence to support the number of employees Amesty submitted in her applications.
They also said Amesty spent more than ten thousand dollars of the loan money on personal expenses.
If the criminal case is abandoned, the government can still sue Amesty to recover the funds. Recent filings in court indicated the two sides were working on a settlement that would avoid the need for a trial.
The judge overseeing the case was expected to demand a response from prosecutors, which could confirm the cessation of the criminal case.
“The government has dropped its criminal complaint against me,” she wrote in a text message to WFTV. “I am grateful to God, my amazing attorney Brad Bondi and his team, and my family for supporting me through this difficult time. Daniel 6:22″
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