Brian Sperber, 44, a Florida distributor of personal protective equipment, has been charged with stealing $12 million that was intended to purchase PPE for hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the U.S. Justice Department said Aug. 26.
Mr. Sperber, of Boca Raton, allegedly stole the money from purchasers of PPE during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to fund his own lifestyle, including buying a multimillion dollar mansion in Boca Raton.
"While others were marshaling limited medical resources to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, Sperber allegedly lined his pockets with stolen money that was intended to purchase lifesaving PPE for hospitals and medical institutions," acting U.S. Attorney Kurt Erskine said in a news release.
Mr. Sperber and a co-conspirator are accused of repeatedly sending PPE customers fake invoices, emails and other documents to make them believe their orders were on the way, when they had actually misappropriated the funds.
He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering.
Read the Justice Department's full news release here.