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Federal Judge Revokes Florida Man’s U.S. Citizenship Tied to $3.8 Million COVID-Relief Fraud

Prosecutors say he concealed an ongoing $3.8 million loan scheme during a sworn naturalization interview.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith ordered Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint’s denaturalization after a Justice Department request to revoke his citizenship was granted in late February.
  • Prosecutors say he and co-conspirators submitted 40 fraudulent applications between April 2020 and May 2021, obtaining about $3.8 million, with roughly $549,000 going to him.
  • He applied for citizenship in February 2020, denied wrongdoing under oath at a December 2020 interview, and was naturalized in February 2021.
  • Philossaint was charged in September 2022, pleaded guilty to conspiracy counts, and a jury later found he obtained citizenship contrary to law.
  • Reports conflict on his June 2023 sentence, citing either 50 months or just over 12 years, and court records reflect restitution and forfeiture tied to the scheme.