A Haitian-born man has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship after a federal judge in Florida found he defrauded COVID-19 relief programs out of millions of dollars and lied during the naturalization process, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith ordered the revocation of citizenship for Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after determining he illegally obtained it by making false statements to immigration officials.
“United States citizenship is one of the greatest privileges our nation can offer, and it must be earned honestly,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant built his path to citizenship on false statements while stealing millions from programs meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic. The court’s order revoking his citizenship restores accountability and reinforces a simple principle: if you lie to obtain immigration benefits and commit federal crimes, you will lose what you unlawfully gained.”
According to federal prosecutors, Philossaint carried out the fraud scheme between April 2020 and May 2021, using companies he owned or controlled to obtain COVID-19 relief funds and preparing fraudulent loan applications for others in exchange for kickbacks. Authorities said the applications included false information about revenues and payroll.
In total, Philossaint and his co-conspirators submitted 40 fraudulent loan applications, prosecutors said, securing about $3.8 million in loan proceeds. Investigators said Philossaint personally received approximately $549,000 through loan funds and kickbacks.
Federal officials said Philossaint had applied for U.S. citizenship in February 2020, before the fraud began.
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.
In:
- Immigration
- South Florida
- Haiti
- COVID-19
- Fort Lauderdale
- Broward County