ed the illicit proceeds for personal expenses, including transferring more than $114,000 toward the construction of a personal residence in Cedar Hill, Texas, and wiring $40,000 to an associate.

What they're saying:

 Emergency relief programs were enacted as a vital lifeline to keep struggling businesses afloat during the pandemic-not to subsidize private home construction and luxury purchases,  U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas said in a statement.  Falsifying tax records and treating emergency small business relief like a personal lottery ticket is a serious federal crime that leaves Main Street Americans shouldering the burden. 

Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Texas Field Office, condemned the alleged fraud, stating that criminals stole money meant to keep honest businesses operational.

What's next:

If convicted, Watson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, up to 30 years for each bank fraud count, and up to 10 years for each unlawful monetary transaction count.

The federal government is also seeking forfeiture of a residential property in Cedar Hill, along with a monetary judgment covering the full amount of the fraud proceeds.