SIOUX CITY, Iowa — A former Cuban military sergeant living in Mason City, Yovany Ciero, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison. Ciero, 48, was found guilty of orchestrating a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan scheme. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa says Ciero was convicted on multiple charges, including wire fraud and money laundering. He recruited over 100 Cuban immigrants to apply for fraudulent PPP loans, falsely claiming they were self-employed with significant income losses due to the pandemic. Federal law enforcement says the scheme resulted in more than $4 million in fraudulent loan applications, with the government losing over $2.4 million. Ciero was also involved in a money laundering conspiracy, collecting fees fro

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