RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A North Carolina prison worker pleaded guilty Tuesday in a scheme to get COVID-19 funds from the government, officials said.

Sean Tracy Dillard, 55, ran a scam to get government money from the program called North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE), according to authorities.

The crime centered around loan applications for emergency rental assistance from NC Hope, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“As part of his fraud scheme, the defendant …. submitted fictitious tenant lease agreements for multiple properties,” the news release said.

Dillard, a correctional officer with the North Carolina Department of Corrections, faces up to 10 years in prison.

The rental properties in question were located in Bertie County.

The NC HOPE program, utilized an initial $51.5 million allocation of funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide housing and utility assistance.

Dillard’s sentencing will occur before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan later this year.