A Shelton resident, Vincenzo Minutolo, 39, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport, according to an announcement from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Court documents show that Minutolo falsely claimed an ownership or representative role with City Sounds Productions LLC and defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of more than $145,000 between March and September 2021. He provided false information on loan applications, overstated the company’s yearly gross income, misrepresented his intentions regarding additional PPP loans, and submitted fraudulent IRS tax filings and payment vouchers that had never been filed with the IRS. On forgiveness applications, he also falsely claimed compliance with PPP requirements.
The PPP was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small businesses retain jobs during the pandemic. It offered forgivable loans if recipients met certain conditions related to payroll and other expenses. The program was overseen by the Small Business Administration but loans were issued by private lenders.
Minutolo also defrauded the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) of over $140,000 through fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applications between March 2020 and April 2021. He submitted claims using names of people who had died or were unaware their identities were being used. One application was filed in his grandfather’s name despite his grandfather having died in 2014; Minutolo used a phone number associated with himself for this claim.
Judge Dooley ordered Minutolo to pay $244,612 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud on February 28, 2025, and is required to report to prison on January 22 after being released on a $50,000 bond.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser prosecuted the case.
“Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form,” stated officials.