the fraudsters become more so themselves,  Hulsey said.

U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi is scheduled to sentence both January 21.

A Gwinnett County spokesperson provided this statement:

 The application process for the Community Development Block Grant funds requires that each applicant submit several items that are used to review potential subrecipients. These items include, but are not limited to, the applicants Georgia Secretary of State Certification, 501(c)3 Determination Letter, Federal Unique Entity ID, Tax Form 990, and two years of audited financial statements. This ensures that each applicant has been reviewed by multiple layers of government and is eligible to receive federal funding.  All required documentation was submitted by Pearl Transit Corp at the time of application review and was vetted with applicable state and federal databases to confirm eligibility. Federal investigators later determined that the organization had committed fraud through the creation of false documents and reached out to the County for assistance in their investigation. Gwinnett County staff worked closely with federal investigators to provide documentation in support of this prosecution.  Restitution of funds in this case is pending sentencing in January 2027. 

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