Fraud Friday – Business Owner with 16 Previous Convictions Sentenced for PPP & EIDL Fraud
January 19, 2024
Delaney Sexton
Contributing Editor
Fraud Friday – Business Owner with 16 Previous Convictions Sentenced for PPP & EIDL Fraud
Justin Eugene Dowie will be adding another conviction to his criminal history after being sentenced to five years in federal prison earlier this month. In July 2023, Dowie pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. He was ordered to pay more than $190,000 in restitution along with prison time.
On multiple occasions in 2020 and 2021, Dowie submitted false applications for EIDL and PPP loans. He sought $1 million in SBA relief funds and received more than $100,000 under his name and using stolen identities. SBA programs were not the only programs he took advantage of. During that time period, he also received over $50,000 in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits, once again using his name and a stolen identity.
Dowie preyed on individual victims too. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that he stole insurance benefits from a victim of the derecho, a severe windstorm that damaged properties in the Cedar Rapids area. In addition, he obtained more than $13,000 from a line of credit.
As a convicted felon, Dowie was charged with possessing firearms and ammunition since he was prohibited from doing so. It was reported that while illegally possessing ammunition and firearms, “he refused to leave another man’s home after the other man had temporarily allowed Dowie to stay in the home during a snowstorm and cold weather. The other man ultimately had to leave his own home when Dowie took it over illegally.”
Among his prior felony convictions, Dowie had 5 convictions for drunk driving alone. Other charges include conspiracy to commit a nonforcible felony and attempted eluding.