TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Twelve Polk County residents are now under arrest after a federal investigation into fraud.

Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor said the investigation began with a mass shooting in January of 2023, when 11 people were shot during a drive-by shooting.

"Once the shooting was completed, detectives started to notice quite a few improprieties in folks that were ancillary to this investigation," Taylor said.

Lakeland detectives called in the F.B.I. to investigate members of the Lakeland-based "Hood Boys Gang."

They soon found gang members and their associates had applied for federal loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.

"These individuals filed fabricated businesses, fabricated business records and what was their goal, their goal was to make it appear that they we

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