Columbus man sentenced after COVID relief money scam

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - 48-year-old Curtis Porch appeared in federal court today for sentencing after COVID relief money scam.

Today in federal court Porch was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. In addition to his prison time, Porch was ordered to pay restitution amounts of over $133,00 to the Small Business Administration and over $152,000 to be paid to the Muscogee County Clerk of Superior Court. Once released his sentence will be followed by five years if supervised release.

Before sentencing Porch’s attorney, William Kendrick, did request that the sentence include home confinement because Porch is the sole provider for his family. While the court did deny that request he was allowed to go home today. US District Judge Clay Land instructed Porch to turn himself in once he received his reporting date from the Bureau of Federal Prisons.

During the sentencing Porch apologized and stated, “I tried to live an honest life.”

Porch and his wife Dereen Porch were indicted by a federal grand jury in 2021 on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act. According to the original indictment, law enforcement say the local pair stole or converted $364,000 dollars from the Small Business Administration.

After pleading guilty Dereen Porch was sentenced to a year and nine months in federal prison two weeks ago.

The Porch couple was also in court facing charges alongside WIllie Demps and others for various charges including bank fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property amounting to an alleged loss of nearly $500,000 to Muscogee County during an 11-month period in 2019.

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