Ex-Missouri House Speaker John Diehl sentenced to federal prison for COVID fraud

By: Jason Hancock

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: March 9, 2026

Words: 243

Last Updated: 13 hours, 19 minutes ago

Body Text Preview

Former Missouri House Speaker John Diehl was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison Monday after pleading guilty last year to misusing federal loans meant to help businesses withstand the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diehl, a St. Louis-area attorney, admitted defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration out of $379,900 through an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and a later loan modification obtained through false representations.

His attorneys asked the court last month for a non-custodial sentence, arguing in …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us