Wenatchee Man Indicted for Wire Fraud, Last Seen in California

Federal authorities are looking for a Wenatchee man recently indicted for misusing COVID-19 relief funding and was last seen in California.

On Thursday, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, Vanessa R. Waldref, said that a federal grand jury indicted 39-year-old James Carnell O’Daffer with two counts of wire fraud and one count of false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims.

The initial indictment was filed and sealed on Oct. 18, 2022, in order to give law enforcement enough time to locate O’Daffer.

His indictment was unsealed after federal authorities made contact with O’Daffer in San Francisco, Calif., where he was arraigned in the Northern District of California.

Back in 2020, small businesses were eligible for COVID-19 relief funding through the CARES Act.

In 2021, O’Daffer took out an $117,400 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan for his home appraisal business.

O’Daffer allegedly misused funds, who was not licensed as an appraiser when he applied for the loan, and spent $39,000 on an RV.

O’Daffer is currently at-large since his court appearance in California. If found guilty, he may face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Federal authorities encourage those who have information on his current location to contact the United States Marshals Service at usmarshals.gov or call 1-877-WANTED-2.