SPOKANE, Wash. – A man from Wenatchee has been sentenced for fraudulently obtaining over $117,000 in COVID relief funding, which he then used to purchase an RV.
Jason Carnell O’Daffer admitted to the courts that he fraudulently obtained $117,400 in EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) funding for his supposed home appraisal business, Chelan Douglas Appraisal Services.
At the time of his EIDL application, O’Daffer was not licensed as an appraiser, and his business had ceased conducting home appraisals. Instead, he utilized the loan proceeds for personal expenses, including spending over $39,000 on purchasing an RV.
In December 2022, O’Daffer was arrested in San Francisco. Following his initial appearance, he absconded from his pretrial release and remained at large until March 2023 when he was arrested again.
“Mr. O’Daffer fraudulently obtained funds, set aside to help struggling small and local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. O’Daffer spent the funds on a recreational vehicle and a cross-country road trip. Then, while on pretrial release following his arrest, Mr. O’Daffer disappeared until he was arrested again a few months later,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Waldref. “I am grateful for the excellent investigative work of the Secret Service and the COVID-19 Strike Force to hold Mr. O’Daffer accountable. My office’s White-Collar team will continue to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 funding.”
O’Daffer has been sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
