25-year-old Fort Lauderdale man concealed multimillion-dollar PPP/EIDL scheme during naturalization, faces deportation after prison term
A U.S. District Judge in Miami has revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after finding he obtained it illegally through fraud and concealment of criminal activity.
Philossaint, originally from Haiti, hid his central role in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud COVID-19 relief programs while applying for and receiving U.S. citizenship. Between April 2020 and May 2021 — overlapping with his naturalization process — he and associates submitted approximately 40 fraudulent loan applications containing false information about revenues and payroll. This secured roughly $3.8 million in federal relief funds intended to support small businesses during the pandemic, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. He either used shell companies he controlled or prepared fake applications for others in exchange for kickbacks.
Philossaint applied for citizenship in February 2020. During a sworn naturalization interview in December 2020, he falsely denied committing any crimes or making misrepresentations to obtain public benefits. He was granted citizenship in February 2021. Prosecutors later proved these statements were deliberate lies to conceal his ongoing fraud.
He pleaded guilty in 2022 to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, and was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison in 2023. A jury convicted him of procuring citizenship unlawfully. On February 23, 2026, Judge Rodney Smith granted the government’s motion to revoke his citizenship, paving the way for deportation proceedings to Haiti once his prison term ends.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones emphasized in a statement:
“United States citizenship is one of the greatest privileges our nation can offer, and it must be earned honestly.”
The case is part of ongoing federal efforts to combat pandemic-era fraud and hold accountable those who misused relief programs designed to support struggling businesses and workers. Philossaint’s revocation is among a growing number of denaturalization actions targeting individuals who concealed serious crimes during the citizenship process.
L’Union Suite will continue following developments in the case, including any appeals or deportation proceedings. The decision underscores the serious consequences of immigration fraud and the government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the naturalization process.
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