Oregon Feds Say Nonprofit Manager Stole COVID Relief Funds to Buy $4 Million Utah Office and Condo

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon filed a lawsuit on Friday against the financial manager of a nonprofit organization who fraudulently used the nonprofit’s COVID-19 funding to purchase two properties in Provo, Utah. The lawsuit seeks forfeiture of the properties, which have a combined value of $4 million.

The civil forfeiture complaint states that from July 2020 through May 2025, 39-year-old Benjamin Young of Provo used his position as Financial Manager for a nonprofit organization to gain access to its financial accounts and embezzle funds, including funds from federally backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

While these loans were intended to support the NPO’s payroll and essential operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, Young used them as part of his purchase of a $3.5 million commercial office suite in Provo in the name of Square the Books, a separate company he controlled, and leased the property back to the nonprofit organization.

Young allegedly fabricated a $2.5 million short-term loan to conceal the origin of the funds and used the fictitious debt to secure a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan under false pretenses, certifying that the SBA loan would repay the short-term loan.

Young used the diverted PPP loan proceeds and other funds diverted from his employer to buy the commercial property by transferring the SBA loan proceeds to his personal bank accounts. He then used part of these to purchase a second property – a $570,000 condominium in Provo.

The United States has asked that Young forfeit the two properties.