Florida Man’s Citizenship Revoked After Discovery Of $3.8 Million COVID Fraud Scheme
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
A 25-year-old man born in Haiti has lost his U.S. citizenship after authorities uncovered his involvement in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme, officials announced Tuesday.
Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, who lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, admitted in 2022 to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two separate conspiracies to launder money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. A federal jury later determined that he had obtained U.S. citizenship illegally.
Investigators reviewing Philossaint’s business activities found that between April 2020 and May 2021 he and several accomplices submitted 40 fraudulent loan applications connected to pandemic relief programs. The applications brought in about $3.8 million in funds. Authorities said Philossaint personally received roughly $549,000 from the scheme.
In June 2023, he was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. Court proceedings to strip him of his citizenship began in February 2026 after officials concluded he had concealed his role in the fraud while applying for naturalization.
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Procuring U.S. Citizenship Illegally During Execution of Multi-Million-Dollar COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint was found guilty of illegally obtaining his U.S. citizenship by lying about fraud that he c… https://t.co/Xj7luLtFQU
— FBI Miami (@FBIMiamiFL) February 9, 2023
Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said the case showed that immigration benefits obtained through deception would not be allowed to stand. He said Philossaint secured citizenship through false statements while taking millions from relief programs designed to support struggling small businesses during the pandemic. Revoking the citizenship, he said, reestablishes accountability and sends the message that those who commit federal crimes and lie to obtain immigration benefits will lose them.
Court records show Philossaint was ordered to repay $3.85 million in restitution. A forfeiture judgment was initially set at $673,210, but he challenged the amount on appeal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit later ruled that the correct forfeiture total should be $549,226.30.
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