A former officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud connected to his application as an employer for a Paycheck Protection Program loan during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Samuel Harris, 43, received over $285,000 in government COVID-19 related loans based on what prosecutors said were fraudulent applications.

Harris was a full-time police officer at the time he claimed to own and run Oregen Digital, Inc., which Harris incorporated in 2015. Harris filed for Oregen’s reinstatement on June 15, 2020.

On June 29, 2020, Harris and an unnamed associate submitted a PPP application for a loan, falsely claiming that Oregen had 10 employees and a payroll of over $50,000 monthly. 

Harris also submitted a fraudulent IRS form representing that Oregen had paid its 10 employees over $602,000 in 2019. As a result, Harris received a PPP loan for $125,579 from a Georgia-based Small Business Administration-approved lender.

On June 30, 2020, the government said, Harris also submitted falsified paperwork for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, claiming that in the 12 months prior to Jan. 31, 2020, Oregen had made gross revenue of over $859,000. 

As a result, Harris and Oregen received an EIDL advance of $10,000 that did not need to be repaid as well as $149,900 in EIDL loans.

Harris is due for sentencing on Sept. 25 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.