A man from Fort Lauderdale has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship after a federal court determined he fraudulently obtained both pandemic relief funds and his naturalization status.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, was found to have made false statements during the citizenship process while participating in a large-scale COVID-19 loan fraud scheme.
A federal judge ruled that Philossaint was not truthful during his immigration interview, where he denied engaging in criminal activity or providing misleading information to obtain public benefits. Authorities say those statements were false, as he was actively involved in fraudulent activities at the time.
Prosecutors said the scheme, carried out between 2020 and 2021, involved submitting dozens of falsified applications for pandemic relief loans. The applications reportedly contained inaccurate financial details, including inflated revenues and payroll figures.
Investigators estimate that about $3.8 million in relief funds was obtained through the fraudulent filings. Philossaint is accused of personally benefiting by receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars through both loan proceeds and kickbacks.
He was later charged with multiple federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, as well as unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship. Following a guilty plea and conviction, he was sentenced in 2023 to more than 12 years in federal prison.
In early 2026, a federal court approved the government’s request to revoke his citizenship, concluding that it had been obtained under false pretenses.
Officials emphasized that the decision reinforces accountability and underscores the consequences of committing fraud while seeking immigration benefits.