Former Idaho congressional candidate pleads guilty to wire fraud and falsifying records

BOISE – A former congressional candidate and Boise businessman who ran against U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher in 2020 pleaded guilty to using COVID-19 funds for personal use and falsifying records to conceal over $20,000 in in-kind contributions, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Nicholas Jones (R), 36, applied for and received federal COVID-19 relief funds for three small business that totaled $753,600, according to a news release from the department. Jones was supposed to use the funds only for business-related expenses, but the department cited court records that showed he used a large portion of the funds for personal expenses like car payments, life insurance and political advertisements.

Jones pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court of Idaho to wire fraud and falsification of records, according to the news release. He could face up to 40 years in prison.

Jones applied to two COVID-19 relief programs including the Paycheck Protection Program, which helped businesses keep employees, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, which helped pay businesses’ operating expenses, according to a plea agreement obtained by the Idaho Statesman.

Read more: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jun/02/former-idaho-congressional-candidate-pleads-guilty/