Vinicius Santana was charged with one count of wire fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Magana submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, obtained over $1 million. Wahid Mohamed Makki was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. On July 11, 2022, Mr. Collins was sentenced to 63 months in prison and Ms. Collins was sentenced to 30 days in prison. For the California case Mr. Sadleir pleaded guilty on March 16, 2022 and his sentencing date is scheduled for September 28, 2022. The Government alleged that Mr. Tran submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $8 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Government alleged that Darakhshan conspired with other individuals to file fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1.3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Mr. Criss submitted fraudulent loan applications through Criss Solutions, LLC obtaining approximately $173,990.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. This case was brought in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Government alleged that Mr. Fitzgerald-Holley submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained approximately $305,854.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. Edwards and Richardson pleaded not guilty on June 22, 2022, and their trial date is scheduled for November 14, 2022. PDF Sba'S Handling of Potentially Fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program Loans Her trial is scheduled for July 28, 2022. The Government alleged that Ms. Duhart submitted fraudulent loan application for her company Hair She Goes, Inc, and obtained approximately $388,790.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Lewis pleaded guilty to all counts. The Government alleged that Mr. Bischoff, who owned multiple pizza restaurants, submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking to obtain almost $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Christopher Hayes was charged with making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim to the Government. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The case was brought in Chicago, Illinois. All rights reserved. The case was brought in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and it is currently pending. Jones pleaded guilty on June 1, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 27, 2022. The PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) is an emergency disaster loan program administered by the SBA designed to provide funds to small businesses with under 500 employees who were affected by the 2020 Coronavirus epidemic. On September 1, 2020, Khalil Green pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Majority of Paycheck Protection Program loans have been forgiven, SBA reports related to PPP loans with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Michael Tolliver was charged with two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Andre Clark was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud. Antonio Hosey was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Mr. Choi has a change of plea hearing that has not been scheduled at this time. The Government alleged that Mr. Price submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. On June 14, 2021, Tamara Dadyan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering conspiracy. The Government alleged that Ms. Norton submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $7.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rodriquez Redding was charged with one count of wire fraud. The case was brought in Los Angeles. Mr. Hamilton pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. On December 21, 2021, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The case was brought in Detroit, Michigan. The Government also alleged that Mr. Collins used his tax-preparation business to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns resulting in a loss of $3.8 million to the IRS. Two Men, Identity Theft and a Conspiracy (Rhode Island - May 5, 2020) . The Government also alleged that Mr. Carter spent more than $21,000 of the loan funds at a car company for repairs and detailing. Mr. Brown was sentenced to time served on April 26, 2022. More than 15% of PPP loans had at least one indication of potential fraud. Does something look fishy to you? This case was brought in Greenville, South Carolina. "Ridge thought he could unjustly enrich himself by defrauding a program designed to support . On September 16, 2021, Mr. Shah was sentenced to 31 months in prison. The case was brought in Miami, Florida. This case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. Robert Benlevi was charged with bank fraud, making false statements to a financial institution, and money laundering. Denesseria Slaton was charged separately and has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. List of PPP Loan Fraud Cases. Alfred Nevis was charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. On June 29, 2021, Mr. Crowther was sentenced to 37 months in prison. The case was brought in Alexandria, Virginia. The Government alleged that the father-son duo submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $550,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Tran pleaded guilty on June 30, 2022, to two counts of wire fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on November 3, 2022. Dennes Garcia was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to attempt to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Ms. Williams pleaded guilty. It is also alleged that all defendants are members or associates of the Woo Gang, which is based in Brooklyn. The Government alleged that Mr. Davis submitted fraudulent loan applications for business entities Skilled Trade Investments, LP, Skilled Trade Staffing, LLC and Skilled Trade Investments GP, LLC obtaining approximately $3,346,813.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Mr. Buoi submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $13 million in COVID-19 relief funds. April Falgoust was charged with one count of wire fraud. Mr. Jalloul pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 120 months in prison on April 21, 2022. On December 14, 2021, Tranesha Quarterman pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 17 months in prison on May 12, 2022. The Government alleged that Ms. Ortiz fraudulently obtained Social Security benefits and COVID-19 unemployment benefits with an individual she met through an online dating site. Mr. Mohan pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Carlos Belone was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and false statements to a financial institute. Rahul Shah was charged with bank fraud, making false statements on a loan application, and identity fraud. Marvin Fitzgerald was charged with false statements. Organizations approved for loans between $150,000 and $10 million. The case was brought in Alexandria, Virginia. The case was brought in Orlando, Florida. The Government alleged that Hackstadt submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $250,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Oudomsine was charged by an information on October 19, 2021, and he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on October 28, 2021. The Government alleged that Mr. George and his co-defendants submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $4.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Andrew Marnell was charged with several counts of bank fraud and money laundering. On June 9, 2021, Ms. Terry pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements on a loan application and one count of money laundering. There are, of course, many other CARES Act fraud investigations currently pending that may later result in criminal charges. Mr. Johnson was held accountable for fraudulently obtaining a loan of $389,627. Mr. Johnson pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison on February 2, 2022. The case was brought in Beaumont, Texas. Mr. McGee pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled for January 24, 2023. The case was brought in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 6, 2021. The Government alleged that Mr. Mancieri filed 8 fraudulent loan applications seeking over $337,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. On November 8, Mr. Azeemuddin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The Government alleged that Mr. Hayes submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds. David Hines was charged with wire fraud, making false statements to a lending institution, bank fraud, and money laundering. Tarik Jaafar was charged with conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Foster submitted fraudulent loan applications through Bellator Phront Group Inc., Impact Creations LLC, Gaines Reservation and travel, Transportation Management Service Inc., Lee Operations LLC, RK Painting Co., D Parker Holdings Inc., Continuing Success Inc., All Star Room & Board Services of Michigan Inc., Infinite Education Services Inc., ML Exotic Customs Inc., Bellevie Corp, Advertising and Then Some Inc., and Mickies Auto and Tires LLC obtained approximately $11.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Robert Stewart was charged with wire fraud, theft of government funds, and making false statements. An increasing number of fraud schemes have come to light involving loans issued through . Mr. Tezna pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. Amir Aqeel, Siddiq Azeemuddin, Rifat Bajwa, Pardeep Basra, Mayer Misak, Mauricio Navia, Richard Reuth, and Raheel Malik were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The Government alleged that Mr. Benlevi submitted 27 fraudulent loan applications seeking $27 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Yates pleaded guilty on May 6, 2022, and sentencing has not been scheduled. The case was brought in San Francisco, California. The case was brought in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. The case was brought in Washington, DC. The case was brought in Newark, New Jersey. The Government alleged that Mr. Davis submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that the defendants submitted fraudulent tax documents to seek over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is part of a massive stimulus package created by Congress known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The Government alleged that Mr. Frazier submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $6.9 million in COVID-19 relief funds, of which he received approximately $2.2 million. Steven Jalloul was charged with one count of engaging in monetary transactions using property derived from unlawful activity. Teamwork and Farms. Blood has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set for August 16, 2022. The Government alleged that the couple conspired to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking over $5.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Eldabbagh pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on August 25, 2022. Lebnitz Tran was charged with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. Some people have already been convicted, while others are being secretly investigated. Mr. Ashcraft pleaded guilty on May 9, 2022, to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2022. Amina Abbas was charged with theft of public money, property, or records. The case was brought in Brunswick, Georgia. Mr. Dorceus pleaded guilty, and the sentencing date is to be determined. Matthew Welch was charged with wire fraud. Mr. Nicoloff pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on May 9, 2022. The Government also alleged that after Rabbitts businesses received the loans, Aguilar created fake payroll companies and accepted checks from Rabbitts businesses indicating that they were for payroll purposes. The case was brought in Los Angeles, California. The Government alleged that Mr. Ashcraft submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds and received approximately $920,000. On October 21, 2021, Ms. Redding was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Kyle Brenizer was charged with several counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. The Government alleged that Smith submitted fraudulent loan applications through her business obtaining approximately $426,000. On August 24, 2021, Mr. Mohan was sentenced to 24 months in prison. The Government alleged Jones submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining over $85,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. This case was brought in Richmond, Virginia. Moe Ayemen Mathews was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Rai submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $10 million in COVID-19 relief funds. This case was brought in Albany, New York. Small Business Administration (SBA) released a list of all the businesses their loan amount with Bank and business details. His sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2021. To help our clients understand the scope of these PPP and EIDL loan fraud investigations, and to make sure they are being treated fairly in the process, we keep close track of federal criminal cases involving CARES Act programs. Roosevelt Roshelle Hunt was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The case was brought in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Williams pleaded guilty on October 13, 2020, and his sentencing has not been scheduled. The Government alleged that Santana submitted a fraudulent loan application to obtain $2.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Red Flags: The First Year of COVID-19 Loan Fraud Cases - POGO The Government alleged that Mr. Olivetti, a Pennsylvania attorney, conspired to submit 2 fraudulent loan applications seeking over $120,000 by inflating the payroll at his law firm. The Government alleged that Mr. McCants, along with 21 other individuals, conspired to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking over $3.8 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Charno was sentenced to 24 months in prison on May 23, 202. On October 21, 2021, Mr. Kindambu was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Acknowledging PPP loan applicants' compliance burdens (and the limited information that was initially made available to applicants), the U.S. Small Business Administration ( SBA) offered a grace period within which companies could return improperly obtained PPP loans without penalty. As part of the Paycheck Protection Program, the federal government has provided hundreds of billions in financial support to banks to make low-interest loans to companies and nonprofit organizations in response to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. On October 8, 2021, Ms. Denton was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 12 months on home confinement. These loans have been flagged by other users as potentially being fraudulent. Mr. Hayes was held accountable for obtaining over $240,000. The case was brought in Houston, Texas. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. All rights reserved. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. Vidal is scheduled for sentencing on July 19, 2022, George is scheduled for sentencing on August 16, 2022, Womble is scheduled for sentencing on August 23, 2022, and Sims is scheduled for sentencing on August 29, 2022. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Government alleged that Mr. Hamilton submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Ganell Tubbs was charged with two counts of bank fraud, loan application fraud, and money laundering. IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) pledges continued commitment to It is also alleged that Ms. Ortiz opened 10 bank accounts to steal over $600,000 in COVID-19 relief funds and launder the funds to her co-conspirator. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison. We also help our clients gain access to seized or frozen accounts by working with banks, and government agents to release money that rightfully belongs to our clients. The Government alleged that Mr. Defrees submitted multiple loan applications at two different banks seeking $1.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. In the New York case, Mr. Sadleir pleaded guilty on January 19, 2022 and his sentencing hearing is to be determined.