Spokane woman pleads guilty in COVID-19 fraud, theft of $53,000

A 41-year-old Spokane woman pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge after admitting she fabricated COVID-19 assistance applications for a car detailing business.

Natasha Ann Opsal admitted to a federal judge Wednesday that she filed fraudulent applications for assistance under the Paycheck Protection Program established to help existing businesses pay employees during the pandemic. The COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force created by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Washington investigated the case, alleging Opsal obtained $53,757 in federal assistance for her company, Rusty Bumper Detailing, that didn’t exist prior to the pandemic.

The wire fraud charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, but sentencing documents indicate federal prosecutors and Opsal’s defense attorney will push for a sentence on the low end of a range determined by U.S. District Court Thomas O. Rice. A sentencing hearing has been set in Spokane for May 10.

“I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG, U.S. Secret Service, and DHS OIG,” said U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington Vanessa Waldref in a statement announcing the guilty plea. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”