Federal prosecutors are scrambling to recoup billions of dollars in pandemic aid from people who falsely obtained funds from government programs that were intended to keep the economy afloat during the Covid shutdowns.In some districts, prosecutors are screening those suspected of a violent crime for potential involvement in pandemic fraud schemes. Other investigators are putting together “strike force teams” to unravel the most sophisticated enterprises or leaning on local officials to steer them toward potential fraudsters in their areas.The moves come as the federal government looks for novel ways to root out what officials say were an enormous number of fraudulent claims that were submitted and approved during the pandemic. Many of the programs that were set up to dole out relief money required minimal proof from those seeking fun …
