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WHEELING -- Former House of Delegates candidate Dalton Haas will serve 10 months in federal prison for lying on applications and illegally obtaining COVID relief dollars.
Federal sentencing guidelines called for a range of punishment for Haas of between four and 10 months. Based upon the amount of loss and his criminal history, U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey imposed a sentence that was "at the highest end of sentencing guidelines," according to information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia on Wednesday.
Upon his release from prison, Haas will be under the supervision of federal probation officers for three years, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The office also reported that Haas paid restitution in full prior to his sentencing.
Haas, 27, of Wheeling, is also known as Dalton Nassar.
In December, he was charged with seven counts of wire fraud, as well as five counts of making false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration regarding businesses he purportedly owned.
During a court appearance on Feb. 15, Haas admitted to the court he lied when providing information to the SBA and applying for CARES Act funding.
He acknowledged he gave the SBA misleading numbers regarding revenues he reported for both the Lebanese Restaurant and Bakery and the West Virginia Hockey League when applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. He also admitted to improperly receiving in his bank accounts $20,000 in advance money from the SBA.
Haas pleaded guilty to one felony count of wire fraud, which carried with it a fine of not more than $250,000.
As part of the plea agreement, Haas agreed to forfeit $20,000 in personal property to the SBA, and to pay restitution "to the fullest extent possible" before he was sentenced. He was also required to pay $100 in court costs.
According to federal court information, Haas paid restitution in full prior to sentencing.
The original complaint against Haas alleged he submitted separate fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans seeking dollars for the Lebanese Restaurant and Bakery, the West Virginia Hockey League, the Wheeling Wine Festival, and the Wheeling Hockey Association. He also sought advancements of the money on three of those applications.
He was alleged to have falsely told the SBA when applying that the Lebanese Restaurant and Bakery had generated revenue a year prior to the pandemic and had 25 employees "when he knew the business was not in operation," according to the complaint.
Haas was a Republican candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2018, and again in 2020.