WENATCHEE — A former Wenatchee man has been indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $100,000 for a home appraisal business that he then used for non-business expenses.

James Carnell O’Daffer, 39, is charged with two counts of wire fraud and one count of false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims as part of an investigation by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force.

Though filed in October, the indictment was kept sealed in federal court by law enforcement attempted to contact O’Daffer. Federal authorities recently located O”differ in San Francisco and he made his initial court appearance in California. O’Daffer is not in custody and is now wanted by U.S. Marshals.

The indictment charges O’Daffer in connection with an Economic Injury Disaster Loan for $117,400 that he obtained in 2021 for his home appraisal business. The loan program provides low interest loans that could be deferred until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic to allow small businesses to maintain operations during shutdowns.

Court records allege that he was not licensed as an appraiser at the time, that his business was no longer engaging in home appraisals, and that he spent the loan on non-business expenses including buying an RV for personal use. The fraud charges against O’Daffer carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

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