Spokane woman sentenced to prison for COVID-19 fraud

A federal judge sentenced a Spokane woman to prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday.

Natasha Ann Opsal, 41, was sentenced to six months in prison. She pleaded guilty to submitting false and fraudulent claims after she obtained three Payment Protection Program loans in 2021.

According to court documents and proceedings, Opsal obtained the loans for a “purported car detailing business in order to obtain COVID-19 funding,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office release said.

Opsal is required to maintain employment after her release and to pay all of the money back. She will also be supervised by the court for three years after her release.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref created a COVID-19 “fraud strike force” in February 2022 to prosecute such crimes in Eastern Washington.

“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” Waldref said. “We created the strike force to ensure that those who misused COVID-19 relief funding are held accountable and to protect the strength and safety of our vital small business community.”