A man born in Haiti lost his U.S. citizenship after a federal judge determined he defrauded COVID-19 relief programs out of millions of dollars and issued false statements during the naturalization process.
A U.S. District Court in Florida ordered the revocation of citizenship for Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after determining he hid his criminal activities when applying for citizenship.
“United States citizenship is one of the greatest privileges our nation can offer, and it must be earned honestly,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement. “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 engaged in fraudulent activity from April 2020 to May 2021, obtaining COVID-19 relief funds through his own companies. He also prepared fraudulent loan applications for five other companies and received a 10 percent commission from them. Authorities said the applications included false information about earnings and payroll.
Philossaint and his co-conspirators submitted 40 fraudulent loan applications, securing about $3.8 million in loans, prosecutors said. Investigators found that Philossaint received approximately $549,000 in loan funds and kickbacks.
Federal officials stated that Philossaint applied for U.S. citizenship in Feb 2020, before the fraud began. During a Dec. 15 naturalization interview, he allegedly denied providing false information to obtain COVID-19 relief funds. He received U.S. citizenship in Feb. 2021.
In Sept. 2021, prosecutors charged Philossaint 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 later found him guilty of obtaining citizenship unlawfully. In 2023, a federal judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
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