A Montgomery County resident, Willie Lee Moore, pleaded guilty to theft of government property in federal court in Greensboro. The charge stems from a scheme to steal funds from a COVID-19 support program, according to an announcement by Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
The case involves misuse of money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act set up the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which distributed payments to states and local governments for pandemic-related expenses. In North Carolina, the Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) used these federal funds to create the COVID-19 Support Services Program. This program was designed to help people in certain counties who needed care and resources to quarantine or isolate during the pandemic. NC DHHS worked with regional partners who provided services like home-delivered meals, groceries, face masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
Court documents state that Moore worked with Jamie Ewings and Navonne Moore through Brutonville Concerned Citizens (BCC), a not-for-profit group subcontracted to provide food boxes and COVID-related supplies. While BCC did deliver some aid, prosecutors say the three submitted inflated or fake invoices so BCC would be reimbursed more than it should have received. They then divided much of this reimbursement among themselves.
In total, BCC got about $1.14 million over five payments between November 2020 and February 2021. Of this amount, Moore received around $369,000; Ewings about $384,000; and Navonne Moore roughly $180,000. The rest remained in BCC’s bank account.
Moore is scheduled for sentencing on February 24, 2026 before Chief/Senior United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles in Greensboro. He faces up to ten years in prison as well as possible supervised release of up to three years and financial penalties including restitution.
Previously in this case, Jamie Ewings pleaded guilty to theft of government property and was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment. Navonne Moore pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft of government property and received four years probation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid is prosecuting.
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