Man Sentenced for $2.1M COVID Relief Fraud
Nikenson Jean Mathurin, 46, received 78 months in federal prison for fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program and disaster loan applications.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Financial Crime
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Nikenson Jean Mathurin was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2,131,747 in restitution for COVID-19 relief fraud. A federal jury had found him guilty in May 2026 of three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Why it matters
The case shows federal prosecutors continuing to pursue pandemic-era aid fraud years after the loans were issued. The sentence and restitution order reflect the scale of losses to lenders and the Small Business Administration.
Mathurin was sentenced on October 28 by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $2,131,747 in restitution.
The players
Nikenson Jean Mathurin
A 46-year-old Sparta, New Jersey man convicted of COVID-19 relief fraud and money laundering.
Michael A. Shipp
U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey who imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court.
IRS Criminal Investigation
The criminal investigative arm of the Internal Revenue Service that investigated the case.
The details
Starting in April 2020, Mathurin submitted 15 Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications on behalf of businesses he said he owned. The applications misstated payroll, revenue and employee counts and were supported by fake tax documents and payroll records, and IRS Criminal Investigation special agents investigated the case.
Timeline
April 2020: Mathurin began submitting fraudulent loan applications.
May 2026: A federal jury convicted Mathurin of three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
October 28, 2026: Mathurin was sentenced in Trenton federal court.
Legal Context
The sentence follows a wave of federal prosecutions targeting fraud in the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force handled the case.
Residents who received or applied for pandemic relief loans should be aware that federal prosecutors are still pursuing fraud cases tied to those programs. Anyone with information about COVID-19 relief fraud can report it through the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline.
The takeaway
Pandemic relief loans remain a focus of federal enforcement, and fraud cases can result in lengthy prison terms and full restitution orders. Anyone who suspects misuse of these programs can report it to federal authorities.
Further reading
For more on similar cases, see Financial Crime coverage.
More information
To report suspected COVID-19 relief fraud, call the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NJTODAY.
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