Feds: ‘Love & Hip Hop’ star bought Ferrari with relief funds
MIRAMAR – A member of the rap group Pretty Rickyboughta$96,000Ferrari and other luxury items using money meant for small-business coronavirus relief, federal prosecutors say.
Diamond Blue Smith, 36, of Miramar, who also stars on the VH-1 reality series “Love and Hip Hop in Miami,” is accused of filing fraudulent applications for federalPaycheck Protection
Program loans — cash intended for business owners struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Smith obtained a PPP loan of $426,717 for his company, Throwbackjersey.com LLC and another PPP loan of $708,065 for his other company, Blue Star Records LLC, using falsified documents, according to the criminal complaint.
He also allegedly applied for PPP loans on behalf of others in exchange for kickback payments.
Authorities seized the
Ferrari and $271,805 in cash when they arrested Smith onMonday.
Smith appeared before a judge in Georgia on federal charges that included wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
Twelve others have been charged in the scheme, including NFL wide receiver Josh Bellamy, 31, of St. Petersburg.
Federal prosecutors allege that the professional football player spent tens of thousands of dollars meant for small-business coronavirus relief on designer jewelry and jaunts to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Bellamy, a wide receiver who was cut from the New York Jets in early September, is alleged to have fraudulently obtained about $1.25 million dollars of PPP money. On Sept. 9, 2020, he was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
Smith, Bellamy and others got the cash with the help of the Phillip J. Augustin, 51, prosecutors say, a Coral Springs man who now sits at the center of a $24 million coronavirus relief fraud ring.
The majority of those indicted as part of the ring are from Florida, but two — Deon D. Levy, 50, and AbdulLevy, 22 — are from Ohio. Tonye C. Johnson, 28, of Pennsylvania, was charged the same day as Smith.
In addition to Smith and Augustin, the South Floridians facing charges are Andre
M. Clark, 46, of Miramar; Keyaira Bostic, 31, of Pembroke Pines; James R. Stote, 54, of Hollywood; Wyleia Nashon Williams, 44, and Ross Charno, 46, of Ft. Lauderdale; Tiara Walker, 37, and Damion O. Mckenzie, 38, of Miami Gardens.
Anyone with information about COVID-related fraud can report it by calling 866-720-5721.
Sun Sentinel reporterMario Ariza contributed to this report.