A former New York City police detective from Valley Stream has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for helping dozens of people obtain fraudulent COVID-19 relief loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.
John Bolden, 47, was sentenced Wednesday by Judge Diane Gujarati in federal court in Brooklyn after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Feb. 18, 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Federal prosecutors said Bolden used his ownership interest in a tax preparation franchise to help more than 65 individuals obtain fraudulent PPP loans between May 2020 and October 2022.
In addition to the 48-month prison sentence, Bolden was ordered to pay $303,138 in restitution and forfeit $112,002.
According to prosecutors, Bolden helped submit loan applications containing false information and created fictitious IRS Schedule C tax forms that misrepresented applicants’ employment, income and business information.
Authorities said the scheme involved clients, family members, friends and fellow NYPD employees. Prosecutors alleged Bolden sought nearly $3 million in PPP funds and successfully obtained several hundred thousand dollars through the fraud.
“Despite being a police officer sworn to uphold the law, the defendant organized a scheme that enabled dozens of individuals, including clients, family members and NYPD co-workers, to obtain millions in federal funds using fictitious tax records,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.
One of the fraudulent loan recipients was former NYPD detective Anthony Carreira, 43, of Staten Island, who prosecutors said submitted false documentation to obtain PPP funds. Carreira was sentenced to time served on March 6, 2026.
Prosecutors also said Bolden’s cousin, Christian McKenzie, 48, of Wheatley Heights, fraudulently obtained a PPP loan and referred other applicants to Bolden in exchange for proceeds from the scheme. McKenzie is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said Bolden “betrayed his oath” by helping co-defendants, family members and friends steal millions of dollars in pandemic relief funding.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Suffolk County Police Department, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.
Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
