A 42-year-old North Andover businessman was sentenced Wednesday for taking COVID-19 relief aid to, among other things, buy a diamond ring and remodel his home.
Jesse Lelievre, owner and manager of Paramount Plumbing & Heating, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to two years of supervised release, with the first five months as home detention. Lelievre was also ordered to pay $179,090 in restitution. Last September, Lelievre pleaded guilty to theft of government property. After being charged in July.
In 2021, prosecutors say, Lelievre applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration on behalf of Paramount. To obtain the loan, he agreed, among other things, to use all loan proceeds solely as working capital for his business. Thereafter, Lelievre directed the EIDL funds into a bank account that he controlled and misappropriated approximately $179,000 for personal expenses, including to buy a diamond ring and to remodel his home.