Charlotte man sentenced in $780,000 COVID fraud scheme that paid for his luxury vehicle

A Charlotte tax preparer was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for fraudulently obtaining $780,000 in COVID relief funds from the federal government and for money laundering, authorities said Thursday. Zadih Cadyma, 66, received funds through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Relief Disaster Loan, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The scheme occurred between 2020 and 2021, said Dena King, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cadyma owned CFE Tax Services in Charlotte and other businesses. He received...