BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A 56-year-old Bucyrus man has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $890,000 in federal pandemic relief funds and using the money for personal expenses.

Jeffrey Skinner pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Court documents state that Skinner owned several businesses, created a nonprofit organization and served as an accountant, treasurer and board member for his church. He had signature authority over the church’s financial accounts.

Prosecutors said Skinner submitted false information in applications for Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans between March 2020 and April 2024. The programs were administered by the Small Business Administration to provide emergency assistance to qualifying businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Skinner sought more than $1.2 million in PPP and EIDL loans and fraudulently received more than $890,000, prosecutors said. After receiving the money, he transferred funds to accounts he controlled and used them to pay personal credit card bills and purchase stocks and cryptocurrency.

He also allegedly routed loan proceeds through his nonprofit organization, using the funds for additional investments and student loan payments. Prosecutors said Skinner later used his position at the church to issue unauthorized checks toward an EIDL loan and submitted additional false information in an attempt to obtain loan forgiveness.

Skinner faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for the monetary transaction charge. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2027. A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering federal guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Cleveland Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Lioi and Elliot Morrison are prosecuting the case.

Fraud can be reported through the Department of Justice’s Action Center at justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.