Michigan – A Harper Woods man will spend years in prison after authorities said he used false documents and misleading claims to collect pandemic-era relief money that was meant to help struggling residents and businesses.
Roy Lee Holt, 58, was sentenced May 22 by Judge Kiefer Cox in Wayne County’s 3rd Circuit Court to 2 to 15 years of incarceration, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. He was also ordered to repay $63,865 in restitution after fraudulently receiving more than $60,000 through COVID-19 relief funds and Paycheck Protection Program loans.
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The sentence followed Holt’s April conviction by a Wayne County jury. He was found guilty of two counts of False Pretenses $20,000-$50,000, one count of False Pretense $1,000-$20,000, two counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime, and one count of Making/Permitting a False Tax Return.
Prosecutors said Holt’s scheme reached into more than one government aid program. In 2021, he obtained two PPP loans by submitting a fraudulent bank statement and making false claims about his business operations. Each loan was for $20,832, bringing the total to more than $41,000. Authorities said Holt later submitted additional false information to have those loans forgiven.
Investigators also found that Holt received $19,880 from the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program, known as CERA, after sending falsified and altered documents to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The CERA program, administered by MSHDA, was created to help Michigan residents who were having trouble paying rent and utility bills because of pandemic-related financial hardship.
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At the time of the fraud, Holt was employed by Veterans Affairs. The case was investigated and prosecuted through cooperation between the Michigan Department of Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and MSHDA.
“Those who defraud these programs cheat taxpayers out of their hard-earned money and strip resources away from those truly in need,” Nessel said at the time of Holt’s conviction.
MSHDA CEO and Executive Director Amy Hovey also said the agency takes such cases seriously, adding that the conviction reflected strong work between state and federal partners.
Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley of the VA OIG’s Central Field Office said the office is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and investigating any VA employee who attempts to obtain government funds through fraud.
The case was handled under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Attorney General and MSHDA to investigate and prosecute the fraudulent theft of housing funds. That agreement is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026, unless renewed by MSHDA.