Daquan Copeland and Esless White Sr.
Introduction
Daquan Copeland, 35, of Houston, Texas, and Esless White Sr., 51, of Jamaica, New York, are co-defendants who pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit mail fraud by engaging in a scheme with others to defraud the federal government of more than $187,000. The stolen money came from North Carolina’s COVID-era emergency rental assistance program. Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the pleas. Each faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to one million dollars when they are sentenced later this year, U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announced.
Background Information
The funds flowed through the North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE) program, the state’s vehicle for distributing pandemic emergency rental assistance. On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which authorized $5 billion for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. North Carolina’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, a division of the state Department of Public Safety under then-Governor Roy Cooper, gave away the federal funds; NC HOPE used an initial $51.5 million allocation of CDBG money for housing and utility assistance, with $66 million in CRF funds allocated to administrative costs.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Pleaded guilty; sentencing pending.
Copeland and White applied for emergency rental assistance through the NC HOPE program. As part of their scheme, they and others submitted fake tenant leases for several properties in Lenoir County to support their applications. Between November 2020 and December 2021, Copeland, White, and others submitted 23 fraudulent applications and stole more than $187,000 in government housing funds for their personal use — a thirteen-month run of paperwork-backed theft against a program built to keep people housed.
In federal court, Copeland and White pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud by engaging in a scheme with others to defraud the federal government of more than $187,000. The plea was accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II, with U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle for the Eastern District of North Carolina making the announcement. Each defendant faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to one million dollars when they are sentenced later this year.
Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General said: “Daquan Copeland and Esless White participated in a conspiracy that diverted more than $180,000 in limited taxpayer funds for their own enrichment, depriving a pandemic relief program of resources intended to help people struggling to remain in their homes,” adding: “This was not a victimless crime. Every dollar stolen was a dollar unavailable to help someone pay rent during an unprecedented national crisis.”
The diversion struck at the program’s stated purpose: the state gave away the CARES Act funds to supposedly North Carolina renters to ostensibly let them stay in their homes during COVID-19 by preventing evictions and the loss of utility services. The release describes no further details about how the individual applications were prepared or submitted.
Public Reaction and Consequences
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said: “These two leeches bled dollars from federal programs designed to help those in need. Now they sit and wait for the gavel of justice to hammer down their sentence,” and added: “Anyone who defrauds any of our taxpayer programs will be held accountable. Know this, we are watching, we will catch you, we will prosecute you. Crime Doesn’t Pay! Cheaters. Never. Win.”
North Carolina SBI Director Chip Hawley said: “This case reflects the strength of our partnerships with the USAO-EDNC and HUD-OIG in fighting fraud, waste and abuse that hurts our most vulnerable citizens,” adding: “Thanks also to USMS and the Kinston Police Department for their help. We will continue to aggressively target those who steal from hardworking taxpayers.”
Current Status
Both defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing later this year on charges carrying up to 30 years in federal prison and fines of up to one million dollars apiece. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – OIG and the SBI, with USMS and the Kinston Police Department credited for their help. Related court documents can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:26-CR-14-M.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The immediate impact is the legal exposure both defendants now carry: a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to one million dollars each, still pending as of the October 28, 2026 announcement. The plea record also permanently documents the fake-lease scheme — 23 fraudulent applications and more than $187,000 diverted from a program meant for renters at risk of eviction. Beyond the pending sentences, the release describes no other consequences for either defendant.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, “Fraud Scheme Exposed: 2 From Texas and New York Stole COVID Federal Housing Funds from NC HOPE Program”, October 28, 2026 — source