Cheshire Man Sentenced to Three Months for Defrauding COVID Relief Program

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Tony Sterlin Cantave, 46, of Cheshire, was sentenced Monday to three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic relief program, per a U.S. Department of Justice release.

Cantave is one individual among thousands investigated for fraud in pandemic aid programs that together distributed more than $800 billion in forgivable loans, direct payments and unemployment benefits to businesses, households and workers between 2020 and 2022. The specific program and dollar amount involved in his case were not detailed in the charging documents referenced by the department.

The sentence marks the operational conclusion of Cantave's federal case. Prior to sentencing he faced potential penalties under fraud statutes that can include restitution and longer incarceration; the imposed term of three months imprisonment begins immediately, after which he will serve supervised release that requires compliance with court-ordered conditions through May 2029.

Downstream, the Justice Department must continue to monitor compliance during the supervised-release period and can seek revocation if Cantave violates terms. The sentence adds to the department's tally of completed fraud prosecutions, which in turn supports referrals to the Treasury Department for debt collection on any unpaid restitution.

Federal agencies that administered the original relief programs, including the Small Business Administration and state unemployment offices, retain authority to cross-check future applications against these conviction records under existing eligibility rules.

This sentencing is one of multiple enforcement actions brought by the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Connecticut in cases tied to pandemic relief. The department has pursued similar prosecutions nationwide since 2021 under initiatives that review suspicious claims submitted to programs originally authorized by the CARES Act of March 2020 and subsequent legislation.