MIAMI – A South Florida nurse lied to get $ 420,000 in coronavirus relief funds, then embezzled the money, federal prosecutors said.

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Giraldo Caraballo, 55, applied for and was approved for a paycheck protection program loan for his company, Professional Skills, saying the company had 28 employees and an average monthly payroll of $ 168,000. He also applied for an economic disaster loan and received approximately $ 55,000.

Instead of using the money for payroll, Caraballo misused it, transferring it to other accounts and spending it on personal expenses, prosecutors said.

Caraballo was arrested and charged with carrying out transactions with illegal products and making false statements to a financial institution. He made his first appearance in federal court in Miami on Friday.

The Paycheque Protection Program offered billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses across the country as part of the first coronavirus relief program approved in March.

The Associated press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group