Broward men plead guilty in $35 million COVID relief fraud

As part of the same scheme, Diamond Smith, 37, of Miramar, was sentenced Thursday to one year and eight months after pleading guilty in August in South Florida to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Smith, a recording artist, obtained two PPP loans, for $426,717 and $708,065, and paid more than $250,000 to Stote and Augustin as kickbacks for their assistance in preparing and submitting the fraudulent loan applications, officials said.