PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal jury has found a 57-year-old Portland man guilty of multiple charges stemming from a scheme to fraudulently obtain nearly $500,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
Beniamin Lucescu was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering following a federal trial in Portland.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lucescu and his wife, Georgeta Lucescu, conspired between April 2020 and May 2022 to obtain pandemic relief funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration by providing false information about their business, Rose City Senior Care.
Prosecutors said Lucescu repeatedly claimed on applications that the funds would be used only to address economic losses the business suffered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he intended to use the money for personal expenses and investments.
After receiving nearly $500,000 in pandemic relief funds, Lucescu used almost all of the money to pay off an old personal federal tax debt and invest in cryptocurrency, according to the evidence presented at trial.
“The pandemic was a time of unprecedented hardship, when Americans needed their government’s help most. Beniamin Lucescu chose to exploit that crisis for his own gain,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford said. “His fraud stole critical taxpayer-funded resources from Americans who were counting on them. We will not tolerate those who abuse government relief programs for personal profit.”
Bradford credited the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and his office for their work in investigating and prosecuting the case.
A federal grand jury in Portland returned an eight-count superseding indictment against Beniamin and Georgeta Lucescu on September 17, 2025. The indictment charged both with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Beniamin Lucescu was additionally charged with money laundering.
Beniamin Lucescu is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14 before a U.S. District Judge.
Georgeta Lucescu is scheduled to stand trial on February 8, 2027. She remains charged by indictment, which is an accusation of a crime. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Bateman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Bodell are prosecuting the case.
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