A Florida man facing multiple fraud charges is being accused of creating a pardon by then-President Donald Trump, authorities said.
According to the Department of Justice, 22-year-old Alexander Leszczynski, of Pinellas County, attempted to seize $300 million worth of properties, including some reportedly owned by late Jeffrey Edward Epstein. Alexander is accused of using fictitious charitable organizations to engage in fraud.
According to investigators, Alexander fraudulently applied for and received two Payroll Protection Plan loans, totaling about $195,910. He also attempted to deposit $2.7 million of a worthless check into one of the charity entities, called Love & Bliss. Then, he allegedly laundered the money through multiple accounts, investigators said.
Eventually, the U.S. froze one of Alexander’s accounts that held more than $300,000. Upon finding out, Alexander responded by presenting a fabricated pardon that he claimed was signed by former President Trump, according to the DOJ.
When property owners and lawyers tried to correct the fraudulent deeds, Alexander responded by sending harassing and threatening letters, emails, and faxes.
Alexander is now facing federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.
