Former GOP state lawmaker indicted for defrauding COVID-19 relief fund -- and faces 'decades in prison'

Former GOP state Rep. Michael Capps was indicted by a federal grand jury on 19 counts for defrauding the federal government, the state of Kansas, and local agencies of more than $450,000 in pandemic relief funds.

Capps was indicted on eight counts of money laundering, six counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statements, and one count of bank fraud.

"The indictment follows a Wichita Eagle investigation into the federal aid Capps' businesses and a nonprofit under his control received from the Small Business Administration, the state of Kansas and Sedgwick County," the newspaper reported.

Capps is facing "decades in prison and millions of dollars in fines if convicted."

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting Capps.

In 2019, the Wichita Eagle reported on the scandals swirling around Capps under the headline, "How did a Kansas businessman go from freshman lawmaker to GOP pariah in 18 months?"

"In less than 18 months he's been disavowed twice by his party. He has resistedrepeated calls to resign and drawn a Republican primary challenger ahead of the 2020 election," the report noted. Capps would go on to lose the primary to Republican Patrick Penn.