An inflatable Pokemon is displayed during the 2016 Pokemon World Championships in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
DUBLIN, Ga. – A Georgia man was sentenced to three years in prison after illegally obtaining a coronavirus relief loan and using more than $57,000 of the money to buy a collectable Pokemon card, authorities said Monday.
Vinath Oudomsine of Dublin, Georgia, agreed to forfeit the costly trading card, which featured the Pokemon character Charizard, as part of a plea agreement, acting U.S. Attorney David Estes of the Southern District of Georgia said in a news release.
According to court records, Oudomsine was charged with wire fraud in October 2021 after officials say he lied about his “entertainment business”: in his application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan.
Officials claim that the man lied about how many employees he had working for him as well as the amount of revenue from his business in July of 2020.
Less than a month after his claim, the court filing claims Oudomsine received $85,000 from the Small Business Administration. Instead of using that money for approved options like payroll and production costs, federal authorities claim he spent $57,789 to buy a Pokémon card.
“Congress appropriated funding to assist small businesses struggling through the challenges of a global pandemic,” said Estes. “Like moths to the flame, fraudsters like Oudomsine took advantage of these programs to…
