Clifton Attorney Sentenced to 21 Months for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Morton Chirnomas illegally obtained over $300,000 in loans and benefits using false identities

A Clifton-based attorney has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for fraudulently securing more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, according to a June 9 announcement from U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. The sentencing took place in Camden federal court, where Morton Chirnomas, 62, of Clifton, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges.

U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn imposed the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release. Chirnomas admitted to defrauding federal relief programs between May and September 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. In addition, he collected approximately $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits by using the identities of other individuals without their permission.

The case was investigated by a coordinated team of federal law enforcement agencies. U.S. Postal Inspectors in Newark, agents from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation contributed to the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark led the prosecution. The case was handled under the District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force—one of five such task forces created nationwide by the U.S. Department of Justice. These strike forces are designed to detect and prosecute large-scale pandemic relief fraud through coordinated, data-driven enforcement efforts.

Federal authorities continue to investigate pandemic-related fraud and encourage the public to report suspected cases. Tips can be submitted to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at justice.gov/disaster-fraud.