Former New Hampshire state senator Andy Sanborn pleaded guilty on July 7, 2026, to theft of government funds for misusing more than $255,000 in federal pandemic relief money intended for his casino business — including, prosecutors said, $48,750 used to purchase a 2006 Porsche Cayman.

Sanborn owned Win Win Win LLC, which operated Concord Casino. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire, he obtained $844,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding from the Small Business Administration and certified the proceeds would be used solely as working capital.

What Sanborn admitted

At his plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty, Sanborn admitted diverting $255,232.72 to personal expenses between January and August 2022. The government specifically identified the January 18, 2022 Porsche purchase.

Sentencing was scheduled for October 15, 2026. The charge carries up to 10 years in prison; the plea agreement reportedly recommended one year and one day, subject to the court's discretion.

Separate state case and closed casino

Concord Casino has closed. New Hampshire regulators previously moved to suspend Sanborn's charitable gaming license after state investigators examined his use of pandemic funds. Sanborn and his company still face separate state felony charges related to alleged fraud involving New Hampshire's Main Street Relief Fund; he has pleaded not guilty in that matter, which remains pending.

Distinction worth noting: A guilty plea in federal court resolves the specific federal theft charge, not every allegation in every forum. State charges are separate proceedings with their own burdens of proof.

Why the story resonates

Pandemic relief programs were designed to keep small businesses alive during COVID-19 shutdowns. Cases like this — involving a visible local casino operator and a sports car — become shorthand for perceived abuse of emergency programs. They also show casino licensing and criminal fraud enforcement intersect: regulatory suspensions can precede criminal convictions by years.