Florida man pleads guilty to receiving fraudulent pandemic loans for Gahanna bar

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 40-year-old man who was living in central Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic pleaded guilty to wire fraud for relief loans he received for a now-closed Gahanna bar.

James Dawson, from Orlando, Fla., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making false statements for applications for five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and four Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for Stadium Bar LLC in Gahanna, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

The PPP and EIDL loan requests were sent between April and October 2020 during the pandemic with Dawson receiving two PPP loans and advances on three EIDL loans. The applications Dawson sent sought over $1 million with the lenders able to disburse $200,000.

According to the attorney's office, the loan applications made false claims about Stadium Bar's operations, monthly payroll expenses, and employee numbers. Among the claims made in the applications was that Stadium Bar was open on Feb. 15, 2020, with Dawson stating in an interview with law enforcement later that the bar actually opened on June 20, 2020.

Upon further investigation from authorities, the bar's certificate of occupancy was signed in March 2020 and received its liquor license in May 2020. Stadium Bar closed in August 2022.

Dawson could face 25 years in prison and a fine as high as $500,000 for charges of wire fraud and false statements within the jurisdiction of a U.S. agency. His sentencing date has not been determined as of Tuesday.