A Cheshire man was sentenced Tuesday to three months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $96,200 in pandemic relief funds intended for struggling small businesses. Tony Sterlin Cantave, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven, U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan announced. In addition to the prison term, Cantave received […]
A Cheshire man was sentenced Tuesday to three months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $96,200 in pandemic relief funds intended for struggling small businesses.
Tony Sterlin Cantave, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven, U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan announced. In addition to the prison term, Cantave received three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $109,605 in restitution.
In June 2020, Cantave applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration, a relief program created under the CARES Act to help small businesses cover operating expenses during the pandemic.
His application falsely claimed that his business, Arbitrage 1 Media, was an ongoing limousine and transportation company, and that he was not more than 60 days behind on his child support obligations, according to court documents.
After the SBA approved the application, Cantave received $96,200 and spent the money on personal expenses, including $16,607 to pay off an auto loan, authorities said.
Cantave pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025, to one count of theft of government money and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction. He is free on bond and must report to prison on July 15.
The case marks Cantave’s third federal conviction. He was sentenced in 1999 to 18 months in prison for a firearm offense and in 2015 to 13 months for his role in a U.S. Postal Service money order fraud scheme.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang prosecuted the case.
