The owner of a Florida telecommunications firm was sentenced to five years in prison. He also has to pay a $128 million fine after pleading guilty to stealing from the federal program known as the “Obama phone.” The program provided discounted phone services and free phones to low-income customers.
The GAO uncovered massive fraud in the program. Not a shock to anyone given how it was administered without oversight in a rushed manner to get votes.
Q Link Wireless LLC and its 51-year-old CEO Issa Asad both pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to steal government money from the Lifeline program, the Department of Justice announced.
Under the plea deals, Asad and Q Link agreed to pay nearly $110 million in restitution to the Federal Communications Commission. Asad also paid a criminal penalty of nearly $17.5 million for income received from Q Link’s phone services scheme.
Asad also paid more than $1.7 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration for laundering loan proceeds that his company received from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the pandemic.
The PPP was also subject to massive fraud.
Obama vastly expanded it without the necessary protections. Every program Democrats implement is filled with fraud because they do it in a slipshod way without safeguards protecting the taxpayer’s money.
Obama phones…..from the phoney President…
I have indirect knowledge of a current Obama phone operation at a work location. The group was moved in, and displaced a group working in a building section. All they do is take deliveries of phones and distribute them. They drive around in government provided electric cars.
The ‘gravy train’ is drying up!!!
Obama Phone fraud is an excellent metaphor for the corrupt Barack presidency. Just like scammer POTUS himself, it’s just taking some time to really see all the swampy scum.
Issa Asad……..’Nuff said.
How on earth does the federal government believe it has constitutional authority to give phones to anyone?
Don’t be so harsh; votes cost money 😉 and just think he saved us from a President (ugh) McCain or a President (double ugh!) Romney. All that led to President Trump. (P.S. Hod do I get my tongue unstuck from my cheek 🙂
In the wise words of motorcycle-gang guy in Blazing Saddles, “Constitution? We don’t need no stinkin’ constitution!”