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The federal government recently seized $ 8.4 million in coronavirus relief funds from a family “ministry” in Florida that appeared to be a fake, court records show.
The Secret Service found the money in bank accounts linked to ASLAN International Ministry, an Orlando-based nonprofit that secured a large loan from the Federal Paycheck Protection Program, according to a filing on Monday before a federal court.
In the document, prosecutors explained how the family behind ASLAN funneled the PPP money through multiple bank accounts and tried to use some of it to buy a multi-million dollar house in a Disney World development before authorities do not catch them trying to leave the state in a car. filled with documents.
“The perpetrators of the fraud attempted to cover up the source, nature and location of the bank fraud proceeds by moving the proceeds to numerous bank accounts, held under different names,” the file said.
A man named Joshua Edwards submitted ASLAN’s request for a PPP loan in early April, claiming the religious nonprofit was a bustling operation with 486 employees and nearly $ 52 million in annual revenue. last, said federal authorities.
Florida business records indicated Joshua Edwards as vice president of ASLAN; his father, Evan Edwards, as president and chairman; and her sister, Joy Edwards, as secretary, according to the record.
ASLAN was approved for a loan of more than $ 8.4 million in May after submitting an application that was allegedly handled by an accounting firm with the same address as the nonprofit, prosecutors said.
But no one answered the locked door to the ASLAN office when federal agents visited in September, prosecutors said. While there was a sign with ASLAN’s name above the door, other tenants on the property reportedly said they did not see anyone entering or leaving the office. The ASLAN website was also suddenly shut down within days of the officers’ visit, the case said.
PPP money flowed through various bank accounts linked to the Edwards family in June, July, August and September, officials said. Some $ 868,250 of it landed in a Royal Bank of Canada account in the name of Mary Jane Edwards, who is the wife of Evan Edwards, according to the file.
This money was reportedly sent to another bank to buy a $ 3.7 million home on Orlando’s Symphony Grove Drive, which is part of Disney World’s Golden Oak development. Mary Jane Edwards was the only person on the home purchase contract, federal officials said.
The Secret Service seized the house’s money and the rest of the P3 funds on September 16, the same day they visited the Edwards family’s home outside of Orlando in New Smyrna Beach, according to records. judicial.
“The residence appeared to have been cleaned and no person or vehicle was at the residence,” says the file.
The next day, the Florida Law Enforcement Department stopped the Edwards’ car for speeding and found the four family members inside, prosecutors said. Evan Edwards claimed they were on their way to a conference in Texas – but the car was packed to the brim with luggage and a wealth of apparent evidence, including laptops, tablets and hard drives, the filing said.
“Evan was in the front passenger seat with an open box containing a laser printer in his lap,” authorities wrote. “In the rear passenger seat were two clear trash bags containing what appeared to be shredded documents. In the rear cargo area, several suitcases were stacked from floor to ceiling, along with a document shredder.
It is not known where the investigation is currently, but there are no active criminal cases against the Edwards family listed in federal court records for the Central District of Florida, which includes Orlando.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The Post could not find contact information for members of the Edwards family.
