OCALA, Fla. — A Kissimmee man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison in a wire fraud case tied to a previous COVID relief fraud conviction, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Levelle Joseph Harris, 40, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud.
As part of his sentence, Harris is required to forfeit $640,911.85 to the United States, prosecutors said.
Harris pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025.
According to court records, Harris previously committed COVID relief fraud in 2020 by fraudulently obtaining more than $1.28 million in relief funds.
Prosecutors said Harris used some of that money to buy a residential property.
Harris was later prosecuted for that conduct and convicted of 14 counts of wire fraud.
When the United States sought forfeiture of the property purchased with the stolen COVID relief funds, prosecutors said Harris sold the property and gave the proceeds to the government.
However, investigators determined the sale was unlawful.
According to court records, Harris carried out a separate scheme between February 2022 and January 2023 to avoid paying his criminal forfeiture in the COVID relief fraud case.
Prosecutors said Harris obtained a mortgage through false representations, then used the proceeds to purchase the residential property and pay his criminal forfeiture.
Through the mortgage fraud scheme, Harris fraudulently obtained $640,911.85, according to prosecutors.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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