South Carolina Man Arrested for Faking Corona Virus

• He faked a doctor’s note saying he had corona virus.
• It forced the Business where he worked to close for 5 days.

Jeffrey Long

A 31-year old man in Inman, South Carolina apparently decided he wanted a few days off of work, and allegedly forged a doctor’s excuse claiming he had the coronavirus. The employer did the responsible thing, not just letting him off, but shutting down their entire facility, a call center, for several days while they brought in professionals to sanitize the building.

fake corona note

While he was off work, the man also decided to visit his children at school, causing educators to worry that other children had been exposed. Fortunately, the whole thing was a scam, and nobody was exposed to danger. The man, Jeffrey Travis, is now facing charges for forgery and breach of peace. This is the second South Carolina resident arrested for falsely making claims about the the virus. Robert Cullum was also charged with breach of peace for telling his employer that he was at risk because his son had the virus. However bad you might want a vacation, it’s not worth going to jail!

Greg Eagle Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

Cape Coral real estate developer Greg Eagle was sentenced to 6 years in Federal Prison, followed by 5 years of supervision after his release from custody. There will also be a restitution hearing at a later date to determine the amounts owed and which victims should receive restitution payments. There was some repayment made previously to some victims. Eagle previously pled to 6 counts related to falsifications he made on bank documents, claiming he was the owner of a property that he was really a trustee for. He faced up to 30 years on each count. I haven’t heard what the court ultimately decided should be his guideline sentence range, but due to the $17 million dollar amount in question, and the number of victims, it was likely substantially higher. It sounds like his attorney at the Wilbur Smith firm did a good job of getting him a departure sentence below the guidelines, in spite of the earlier difference of opinion. Eagle has a few weeks to turn himself in to begin his sentence.

Cape Coral Broker’s Federal Sentencing Delayed Again

Former Cape Coral real estate broker Greg Eagle, who has already admitted to the fraud charges he is facing in Federal court, got another reprieve on his sentencing. Originally set in July, it was reset for Monday, but it has been continued again, to November 12. It is not unusual for such sentencings to be continued in Federal court, especially on such large and complex financial cases. The continuance can still be seen as a victory for the Defense, as Eagle is facing a potentially long prison sentence, that could put him away fro the rest of his life. The News-Press article has a good summary of the case.

Greg Eagle Admits to Fraud Charges in Federal Court – Faces Prison

Mr. Eagle has previously admitted to actions that certainly sounded like fraud in State civil court, but today a plea agreement was filed in Federal criminal court admitting to several counts of charges for fraud. Mr Eagle has admitted to 6 counts of fraud, in total, putting him at risk for up to 30 years in prison on each count. His agreement guarantees a recommendation for the low-end of his sentencing guidelines, which have not yet been determined. Federal sentencing guidelines use the value of the money in question as an enhancement, and it appears that the charges stem from 2 loans he obtained totally 19 million dollars. The low-end of his guidelines could still include a substantial prison sentence.

We have discussed Greg Eagle before on Crimcourts, when he filed for a restraining order against a Cape Coral resident who criticized him at the Octoberfest event, and online. The restraining order was denied, as it would likely have run afoul of 1st Amendment protections of Free Speech and expression. The issue was elevated because at the time, Greg Eagle’s son Dane Eagle was running a campaign for office. The Eagle Realty web site still proclaims on its home page, “Satisfaction Soars With Eagle’s Strength“.

Eagle Realty web page