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This wide receiver’s hands were maybe a little too sticky. Former New York Jets wide-out Joshua Bellamy bilked a coronavirus stimulus program for more than $1 million, federal prosecutors in Florida charged Thursday. Bellamy allegedly obtained $1.2 million in fraudulent loans from the Payment Protection Program for his company “Drip Entertainment,” according to a criminal …
This wide receiver’s hands were maybe a little too sticky.
Former New York Jets wide-out Joshua Bellamy bilked a coronavirus stimulus program for more than $1 million, federal prosecutors in Florida charged Thursday.
Bellamy allegedly obtained $1.2 million in fraudulent loans from the Payment Protection Program for his company “Drip Entertainment,” according to a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida.
Bellamy’s bank records show a paper trail of him transferring the money to his private account in May, which contained a total of less than $3 before he got the allegedly fraudulent pay day.
“On or about May 28, 2020, Bank 2 wired the loan amount, $1,246,565, into Bellamy’s personal account, which, at the time, had a balance of only $2.51,” the complaint states.
Bellamy then wired 25 percent of the cash to his co-conspirator as a kickback payment in the scam, the feds allege. His alleged co-conspirator is nor cooperating with federal authorities in their investigation.
The NFL player went shopping with the illegally obtained cash, buying up luxury goods at high-end retail shops, and spending all of the dough within about two months, according to the complaint.
“On June 8, 2020, Bellamy purchased $5,381.60 in goods at Gucci and $1,020.98 at Milano Exchange. On June 14, 2020, Bellamy spent $2,014.80 at Dior,” prosecutors wrote.
“Bellamy’s bank records also reflect a number of expenditures for what appears to be travel and hotels. From May 28 to July 24, 2020, Bellamy spent over $6,630 on transactions with various airlines. He also spent approximately $62,774 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino,” the complaint adds.
He was cut loose from the team on Wednesday in anticipation of the charges, source said.
The Jets did not respond to a request for comment.
Attorney information for Bellamy was not immediately available. It was unclear whether he was in custody.
Additional reporting by Thornton McEnery
