- Credits
- 55,584
In July 2020, Oudomsine applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the US Small Business Administration, stating that the funds would be used to help his “entertainment services” business that he claimed had 10 employees and earned $235,000 in the previous 12 months. The Georgia man received $85,000 in August, which he then used to buy a rare Charizard card. Oudomsine’s fraudulent application was discovered, and he has subsequently been sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of "supervised release." He will also have to return the $85,000 loan money, pay a $10,000 fine, and forfeit the Pokemon card.
The specific Pokemon card purchased by Oudomsine has not been revealed by authorities, but Polygon discovered that in December 2020, a Charizard card with a 9.5 gem mint rating was sold on the PWCC Marketplace for the exact price Oudomsine paid for his card.
When speaking about the case, US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia David H. Estes stated, “Like moths to the flame, fraudsters like Oudomsine took advantage of these programs to line their own pockets… We are holding him and others accountable for their greed.” The funds available through programs like the Economic Injury Disaster Loan were limited and quickly ran out due in part to fraudulent applications, leaving many small businesses without the assistance they legitimately needed. A number of these companies no longer exist today because they were unable to cover rent, utilities, payroll, and other expenses during lockdown.
The specific Pokemon card purchased by Oudomsine has not been revealed by authorities, but Polygon discovered that in December 2020, a Charizard card with a 9.5 gem mint rating was sold on the PWCC Marketplace for the exact price Oudomsine paid for his card.
When speaking about the case, US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia David H. Estes stated, “Like moths to the flame, fraudsters like Oudomsine took advantage of these programs to line their own pockets… We are holding him and others accountable for their greed.” The funds available through programs like the Economic Injury Disaster Loan were limited and quickly ran out due in part to fraudulent applications, leaving many small businesses without the assistance they legitimately needed. A number of these companies no longer exist today because they were unable to cover rent, utilities, payroll, and other expenses during lockdown.
