A Colorado physician was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for fraudulently obtaining and misappropriating approximately $250,000 from two separate COVID-19 relief programs. According to court documents, Dr. Francis F. Joseph, 58, of Highlands Ranch, was the supervisory physician at Springs Medical Associates, a medical clinic with three offices in Colorado. From March through June 2020, Joseph applied for and received government funds for COVID-19 relief from the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program and the Paycheck Protection Program. Both programs were designed to provide emergency financial assistance to medical providers and small businesses who were suffering economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, Joseph received approximately $250,000 from these programs and used the money to pay for his personal expenses.
