Georgia man jailed for using coronavirus relief loan of $57,000 to buy a Pokémon card

The man had to give up the card as part of his plea agreement

Vinath Oudomsine, 31, was sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding the US government by using nearly $60,000 in coronavirus relief money to buy a Pokemon card (US District Attorney’s Office)

A Georgian man will spend three years in prison after using $57,000 worth of coronavirus relief money to buy himself a Pokémon card.

Vinath Oudomsine, 31, of Dublin, Georgia, agreed to give up the card, which depicts the Pokémon "Charizard," as part of his plea agreement, according to The Associated Press. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in October.

“Congress appropriated funding to assist small businesses struggling through the challenges of a global pandemic,” U.S. Attorney David Estes said in a press release announcing the sentencing. “Like moths to the flame, fraudsters like Oudomsine took advantage of these programs to line their own pockets — and with our law enforcement partners, we are holding him and others accountable for their greed.”

Prosecutors claimed that Mr Oudomsine submitted false information to the US Small Business administration last year to secure Covid-19 relief funding. He claimed in his filing that he owned an "entertainment services" business.

According to the filing, he lied both about the number of individuals he employed and his businesses' revenue. The filing claimed that Mr Oudomsine employed 10 people and had a gross revenue of $235,000 in the year prior to the pandemic.

Ultimately, Mr Oudomsine received $85,000 from the government and used $57,789 to purchase the Pokémon card.

The popularity of Pokémon cards saw a recent resurgence after Twitch streamers and YouTube creators began streaming themselves opening packages of the cards.

Cards depicting Charizard, a dragon character from the fictional franchise, tend to be among the most sought after and - depending on its condition and rarity - be valued at tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars by collectors.

It's unclear is Mr Oudomsine planned to sell the card or if he was simply a collector himself.

In addition to his three year sentence and forfeiture of the card, Mr Oudomsine also has to pay a $10,000 fine and $85,000 in restitution.

“COVID-19 disaster relief loans are issued by the government to help businesses struggling to survive during a pandemic, not to use for trivial collectible items,” Philip Wislar, acting special agent of FBI Atlanta, said in the release. “This sentence highlights the FBI’s commitment to aggressively pursue anyone who would abuse taxpayer dollars and divert them from citizens who desperately need them.”