3 Southern Californians stole $3.5 million through COVID fraud scheme

A 60-year-old Ewa Beach woman, formerly an operations director for a motorcycle importer, faces federal charges for allegedly stealing over $1.2 million for luxury goods, travel, and gambling. Separately, Daryl D. Knighten, Jr., Vanessa M. Williams, and Denise Mata from Southern California pleaded guilty to defrauding the government of $3.5 million. Their scheme targeted COVID economic relief loans between March 2021 and August. Both cases highlight significant financial crimes involving federal investigations and criminal proceedings.