Georgia man charged for $317M sale of virus masks that didnt exist
A Georgia man was charged in federal court Thursday with trying to swindle a foreign government out of $317 million by promising to sell it face masks to protect against the coronavirus with a huge shipment that never existed. Prosecutors said Penn and at least two partners negotiated a deal between March and April to sell 50 million N95 respirator masks to a foreign government. The sellers never had the masks, prosecutors said in a court filing, yet they persuaded the foreign government to wire $317 million to a bank account. Prosecutors said Penn helped negotiate the sale through his company, Spectrum Global Holdings LLC. Georgia incorporation records show Penn formed the company in 2018 in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross.