A man originally from Haiti has found himself stripped of his U.S. citizenship after being implicated in a significant COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Announced by the Justice Department on Tuesday, the decision came from a federal judge in Florida who concluded that the man had illegally obtained citizenship through deceit during the naturalization process and had defrauded government relief programs.

The individual in question, Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, a 25-year-old resident of Fort Lauderdale, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith to forfeit his citizenship. The ruling was based on evidence that Philossaint had made fraudulent claims to immigration officials to secure his citizenship status.

In a statement underscoring the gravity of the situation, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones of the Southern District of Florida remarked, “United States citizenship is one of the greatest privileges our nation can offer, and it must be earned honestly.” He went on to emphasize the breach of trust Philossaint committed by “building his path to citizenship on false statements while stealing millions from programs meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic.” The court’s decision, he added, serves as a stark reminder that “if you lie to obtain immigration benefits and commit federal crimes, you will lose what you unlawfully gained.”

Federal prosecutors detailed that Philossaint orchestrated his fraudulent activities between April 2020 and May 2021. During this period, he exploited companies he either owned or controlled to illegitimately access COVID-19 relief funds. Furthermore, he prepared fraudulent loan applications for others, receiving kickbacks in return. The information on these applications, particularly concerning revenues and payroll, was falsified.

The extent of Philossaint’s fraudulent activities was significant. Prosecutors revealed that he and his accomplices submitted a total of 40 fraudulent loan applications, netting approximately $3.8 million in proceeds. Out of this, Philossaint personally pocketed around $549,000 from loan funds and kickbacks.

Notably, Philossaint had applied for his U.S. citizenship just before these fraudulent activities commenced, in February 2020. This timeline highlights the premeditated nature of his actions, lending further weight to the judge’s decision to revoke his citizenship.

During a sworn naturalization interview on Dec. 15, 2020, he allegedly concealed his involvement in the scheme and falsely denied committing crimes or making misrepresentations to obtain public benefits, prosecutors said. He was granted U.S. citizenship on Feb. 9, 2021.

Philossaint was later charged on Sept. 8, 2022, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to launder money and unlawful procurement of citizenship. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges, and a jury found him guilty of obtaining citizenship unlawfully.

On June 26, 2023, Philossaint was sentenced to just over 12 years in federal prison. 

On Feb. 23, a federal court granted a motion from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to revoke his citizenship, finalizing the government’s effort to strip him of the status he obtained through fraud.