IRS agent pleads guilty to falsely obtaining Covid-relief money

CONCORD - A Merrimack man and former IRS agent pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced on Wednesday.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2020, Charles Clark, 64, fraudulently applied for a loan under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Congress had authorized multiple relief programs, including EIDL, to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the early stages of the COVID pandemic. EIDL funds were issued by the Small Business Administration and were to be used for limited purposes such as payroll expenses, sick leave, and production costs.

In his EIDL application, Clark falsely claimed to have been an independent contractor working in the "Hair & Nail Salon" industry when he was working as a full-time IRS employee. He obtained $62,300 in funds which he then misused by spending them on renovating an investment property he owned.

Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5.

The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen.