Published on: May 26, 2026, 06:41h.
Updated on: May 26, 2026, 06:46h.
- Andy Sanborn, the former state senator from New Hampshire and owner of the now-closed Concord Casino, has accepted a plea deal for federal fraud, admitting to misappropriating over $255,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.
- He is facing a sentence of one year and one day in prison and is required to return $255,232.72 after prosecutors charged him with misusing $844,000 in relief loans designated for his company, which has since ceased operations.
- The federal plea is compounded by separate state theft charges, wherein Sanborn allegedly inflated casino revenues to gain additional relief funds.
According to court records obtained by the Concord Monitor, Andy Sanborn, a former state senator in New Hampshire and founder of the now-defunct Concord Casino, plans to plead guilty to federal charges alleging he misappropriated over $255,000 intended for COVID-19 relief.
Sanborn was charged with a single count of theft of government funds in the U.S. District Court located in Concord, New Hampshire on May 26, 2026.
According to the prosecution, he received $844,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) during the pandemic. He falsely certified that the funds would only be used as operating capital for his business, known as Win Win Win.
A 2006 Porsche Cayman, which Sanborn purchased for $48,750 in January 2022, is among the personal expenses he allegedly funded with these loans.
As part of a plea agreement, Sanborn faces a potential sentence of one year and one day in federal prison and is mandated to repay the total amount of $255,232.72 that he wrongfully acquired. Federal authorities have also agreed not to prosecute the casino or his wife, former state Representative Laurie Sanborn.
Additional State Charges
The federal charges stem from an extensive eight-month investigation at the state level, which determined that Sanborn fraudulently acquired pandemic loans by misrepresenting facts in his application. Notably, he did not include the “Concord Casino” as part of the official application and instead categorized his business activities as “Miscellaneous Services.” The case was escalated to federal prosecutors by New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella.
Federal officials have indicated that over 15 individuals in New Hampshire have been implicated in pandemic relief fraud amid a wider crackdown led by the Department of Justice.
In addition to federal charges, Sanborn is facing state theft allegations related to the Main Street Relief Fund, with prosecutors claiming he inflated the reported revenue of the Concord Casino by approximately $1 million to secure an additional $188,000 in state assistance.
Sanborn opened the Concord Casino in October 2019, which provided various gaming options including blackjack, roulette, and poker in compliance with New Hampshire’s charitable gaming regulations that mandate a portion of the proceeds to benefit registered non-profit organizations.
As of January 1, 2024, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission has suspended all operations of the casino, citing Sanborn as “unsuitable” to hold a gaming license.
Jury selection for the state trial is set to commence in September, with the trial scheduled for February.