TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. — A Georgia man is facing fraud and money laundering charges after he was accused of stealing from business owners.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says Carl Anthony Needham Jr., 31, submitted an application for an Emergency Bridge Loan pretending to be a business owner.
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But the real business owner also submitted a loan application.
The FDLE says the actual business owner submitted an application for $25,000, while Needham submitted one for $38,000. The information on both applications matched, but Needham’s pointed to a different financial institution.
Investigators did not catch the Needham’s application was fake, and approved the loan.
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“Those funds were intended to help small businesses find their footing after the devastating hurricanes in 2024, not for criminals to steal and fund their criminal activities,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass.
They say he tried to cover up the theft by moving the money around into several other accounts.
Earlier this month, the FDLE, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office arrested Needham. He has since been extradited to Taylor County, Florida.
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