When the Paycheck Protection Program launched during the pandemic shutdowns of spring 2020, it immediately became a chaotic free-for-all. 2022 by The Church Law Firm LLC. The case was brought in West Palm Beach, Florida. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Government alleged that Ms. Okeke, a former bank employee, conspired with another employee to fraudulently obtain over $3 million in COVID-19 relief funds by helping borrowers fill out false loan applications. Se Habla Espaol, 101 Marietta Street NWSuite 3300Atlanta, GA 30303(404) 223-3310, 2022 by The Church Law Firm LLC. Sean Schoepflin and Erika Leon were charged with wire fraud and transactional money laundering. Report it to the Small Business Administrations with just a few clicks. The Government alleged that Mr. Markovich conspired to unlawfully bill for treatment services during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as filing fraudulent loan applications seeking over $500,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 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 case was brought in Miami, Florida. On December 10, 2021, Mr. Bellamy was sentenced to 37 months in prison. PPP Loan Search; FL; Miami Beach; Business Name Loan Amount Lender; LINDY L NOWAK: 17500: City National Bank of Florida: SPIAGGIA INC: 17500: The Government alleged that Mr. Fitzgerald-Holley submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained approximately $305,854.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Hayes was held accountable for obtaining over $240,000. Journalists: Thank you for using this database. The Government alleged that Mr. Abramovs submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately $1,986,737.46 in COVID-19 relief funds. Ms. Jackson pleaded guilty to both counts. Mr. Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 6, 2021. The Government alleged that Mr. Redding submitted 2 fraudulent loan applications seeking over $40,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that the defendants conspired to submit over 150 fraudulent loan applications seeking almost $22 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mark Stewart was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The case was brought in Augusta, Georgia. Lebnitz Tran was charged with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. This case was brought in New Orleans, Louisiana. Andrew Tezna was charged with one count of bank fraud. It is also alleged that Santana used the funds to purchase vehicles and invest in cryptocurrency. The case was brought in Monroe, Louisiana. The case was brought in Statesboro, Georgia. The case was brought in Foley Square, New York and is pending. The case was brought in Portland, Oregon. The Government filed a criminal complaint on October 11, 2021. Thomas Smith was charged with bank fraud and money laundering. Mr. Rai pleaded guilty to one count of false statements to a financial institution on February 9, 2021. Ms. Denton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 22, 2021. The Government alleged that Mr. Smith submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Ms. Duhart pled guilty and was sentenced to 3 years in prison on February 22, 2022. The case was brought in Newport News, Virginia. The Government alleged that Ms. Hart, a former Deputy Sheriff, made a false statement to the SBA in her PPP application. Antonio Hosey was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The Government alleged that the defendants submitted falsified loan applications obtaining approximately $396,875.00 in COVI-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that the defendants submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $7.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. On July 11, 2022, Mr. Collins was sentenced to 63 months in prison and Ms. Collins was sentenced to 30 days in prison. Here's a list of the PPP loan prosecutions to date: 1. Two Men, Identity Theft and a Conspiracy (Rhode Island - May 5, 2020) . The Government alleged that Chanchikyan submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $345,000 in COVID-19 relief funds through his home health agency, Gentle Touch Home Health Care Inc. Ms. Knox pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022, and her sentencing hearing is to be determined. On September 23, 2021, Mr. Henley was sentenced to 6 months in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 2, 2022. The case was brought in Memphis, Tennessee. On October 21, 2021, Mr. Argires was sentenced to 8 months in prison. Mr. Robinson pleaded not guilty on December 18, 2020, and his trial is scheduled for August 8, 2022. The case was brought in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Government alleged that Mr. McKenzie and Ms. Bostic participated in a conspiracy with others that involved submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking a total of $24 million in COVID-19 relief funds. All defendants have pled guilty. Benjamin Hayford was charged with bank fraud and four counts of making false statements to a financial institution. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Serving clients across the United States The Government alleged that Ms. Denton submitted fraudulent loan applications for $491,310 in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Hackstadt submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $250,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Rabbitt filed fraudulent loan applications seeking over $3.3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. All the defendants pleaded guilty in October 2021. The Government alleged that the defendants conspired to steal approximately $4.3 million dollars in unemployment insurance benefits funded by COVID-19 relief programs. The Government alleged that Mr. Kindambu submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $2.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds. On July 29, 2021, Mr. Johnson was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The case was brought in Chicago, Illinois. Former Police Officer Sentenced For Money Laundering. Mr. Cotton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud on March 4, 2022, and his sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2022. Jones pleaded guilty on June 1, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 27, 2022. Jacob Carter, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Christal Ransom were charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The Government alleged that Mr. and Ms. Collins submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $1.9 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mark Mason, Jr. was charged with one count of wire fraud and money laundering. On June 9, 2021, Mr. Bellamy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Cindi Denton was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to attempt to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Tarik Jaafar was charged with conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Date: December 8, 2021. Brandon Fitzgerald-Holley was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. The case was brought in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His case is now on appeal in the First Circuit Court of Appeals. On September 1, 2020, Khalil Green pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The case was brought in Cleveland, Ohio. On September 8, 2021, he was sentenced to 27 months in prison. The case was brought in Brunswick, Georgia. The Government alleged that Mr. Williams an authorized representative of Bamigi Brand submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately $300,000.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. The case is pending and no trial date has been scheduled at this time. The case was brought in Detroit, Michigan. Charmaine Redding was also charged separately and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. On March 24, 2022, Ms. Cartwright-Powers was sentenced to 20 months in prison. The case was indicted in November 2021 and the defendants pleaded not guilty at their arraignment. The case was brought in Seattle, Washington. Eldabbagh pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on August 25, 2022. On August 13, 2021, Mr. Fiedler was sentenced to 8 months in prison. Joseph Cherry was charged with wire fraud, theft of government property, making false statements to influence the SBA, and money laundering. On June 24, 2021, Ms. Benton pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Jonathan Olivetti was charged with one count of wire fraud. On November 4, 2021, Mr. Bearden pleaded guilty. The case was brought in Buffalo, New York. The case was brought in Norfolk, Virginia. Jase Gautreaux was charged with making false statements to a financial institution, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Francis Joseph was charged with theft in connection with healthcare, theft of government funds, wire fraud, and making a false statement in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding. The Government alleged that Ms. Kasali submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained more than $1.9 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Seattle, Washington. The case was brought in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. Deon Levy and Abdul-Azeem Levy were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ms. Walker has pleaded guilty. The Government alleged that Ms. Kirkland submitted a fraudulent loan application seeking over $66,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. "The two operating components of the [SBA-OIG] are the Auditing Division and the Investigations Division. The case was brought in Detroit, Michigan and is currently pending. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the . On March 25, 2022, Mr. Benlevi was found guilty on all counts at trial. For the California case Mr. Sadleir pleaded guilty on March 16, 2022 and his sentencing date is scheduled for September 28, 2022. Vinicius Santana was charged with one count of wire fraud. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison. On March 21, 2022, he was sentenced to 188 months in prison, and he filed a notice of appeal on March 29, 2022. On December 3, 2020, Mr. Fiedler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Steven Jalloul was charged with one count of engaging in monetary transactions using property derived from unlawful activity. Arena submitted fraudulent loan application for ADA Auto Group LLC obtaining approximately $954,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Matthew Welch was charged with wire fraud. On July 28, 2021, Mr. Lewis pleaded guilty to mail fraud and he was sentenced to 115 months. This case was brought in Greenville, South Carolina. Ronald Smith and Terri Miller were charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and fraud in connection with emergency benefits. On October 13, 2021, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The primary federal agencies that are currently conducting PPP loan fraud investigations are: 1. ATLANTA - Seventeen more individuals have been charged in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $11.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and to use those funds to purchase luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other personal items. Trevor Lanius-McLeod and Kasey Wilson were charged with bank fraud and money laundering. Nadine Jackson was charged with wire fraud and making false statements. Tracy Kirkland was charged with wire fraud. David Hines was charged with wire fraud, making false statements to a lending institution, bank fraud, and money laundering. Brittany Shearod was charged with attempt and conspiracy to commit fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud. The case was brought in Newark, New Jersey. Valesky Barosy was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. The Government alleged Jones submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining over $85,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Our strategy involves carefully reviewing all relevant loan and financial documents, consulting with forensic accountants and other financial specialists with experience in PPP and EIDL loans, and engaging law enforcement agents and prosecutors early in the process to ensure they have a full picture of the facts helpful to our clients. Both Christopher and Erin Mazzei pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial on August 9, 2022. Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores, Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers, Mens and Boys Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing, Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers, Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures, Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers, All Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers (except Tobacco Stores), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Drycleaning and Laundry Services (except Coin-Operated). On May 11, 2021, Mr. Fayne pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application. Deon is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2022, and Abdul-Azeem is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2022. Samuel Yates was charged with fraud by wire, radio, or television. On July 14, 2021, Mr. Smith was sentenced to 36 months in prison. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Government alleged that Mr. Magana submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, obtained over $1 million. Both Hatter and Parker have pleaded not guilty and their case is pending. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Government alleged that Dr. Shibley submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Kyle Brenizer was charged with several counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. More than 15% of PPP loans had at least one indication of potential fraud. 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. Mr. Sissoko was convicted of four counts of wire fraud on April 15, 2022. The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $659 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses. On June 23, 2020, he was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in the Southern District of New York. Mr. Fitzgerald-Holley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 months in prison on April 21, 2022. On November 24, 2021, Ms. Bostic was convicted after a jury trial on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Anuli Okeke was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The other defendants are scheduled for trial on September 20, 2022. On March 16, 2022, Mr. Boncimino was sentenced to 36 months in prison. Ms. Hart pleaded guilty on April 6, 2022, and was sentenced on July 13, 2022 but the terms of her sentence are under seal. Karen Chapon was charged with bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, and unlawful monetary transaction. Next on our list is a South Florida couple who, authorities say, filled their bank accounts with over $800,000 in PPP loans and over 200,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans. 4,730. lenders have requested forgiveness for 2020 PPP loans. 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). Shanrika Duhart was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The case was brought in Texarkana, Texas. The case was brought in Miami, Florida. The Government alleged that Mr. Tolliver submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $7.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds, of which he obtained over $1.1 million. On June 2, 2021, Ms. Stanley was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2022. Kenneth Gaughan was charged with bank fraud, theft of government funds, identity fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The case was brought in Brooklyn, New York. On June 4, 2021, Mr. Davis was sentenced to 6 months in prison. The Government alleged that Mr. and Mrs. Porch submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $364,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 3. On October 13, 2021, Mr. Blotnick pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Mr. Mills pleaded guilty to the charge on September 20, 2021. Johnson Eustache was charged with wire fraud and false statements. 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. Ms. Durhart was sentenced to 96 months in prison on June 23, 2022. Mr. SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) The SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) is the integrity and accountability arm of the SBA. The Government alleged that Mr. Harris applied for 14 fraudulent loans and received over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. 100 people have been arrested so far. The case was brought in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Government alleged that Mr. Mohan submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $5.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Orlando, Florida. The case was brought in Newark, New Jersey. On October 18, 2021, he was sentenced to 10 months probation. The case was brought in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Tezna was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The case was brought in Houston, Texas. The Justice Department has brought criminal charges against at least 209 individuals in 119 cases related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud since banks and other lenders began processing loan applications on behalf of the Small Business Administration on April 3, 2020. Diamond Blue Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit and offense against the United State, i.e., wire fraud. The case was brought in Savannah, Georgia. The case was brought in Buffalo, New York and it is currently pending. PPP loans and fraud - the red flags that could have been spotted Amanda DuPont September 09, 2021 6 min Approximately $800 billion went out in the CARES Act's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), providing nearly 12 million loans between April 2020 and May 2021 to U.S. businesses. Darris Cotton was charged with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Boncimino submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. In the Spring of 2020, the Small Business Association ("SBA") began administering the Paycheck Protection Program (the "PPP" or the "Program") to provide SBA-backed loans to help eligible businesses maintain their workforces during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example: trucking , hospice , television , Kasowitz Benson Torres , 90210 , Sole Proprietorship 11.5M. The Government alleged that Mr. Pan submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Santemores pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022, and was sentenced on July 25, 2022 but the terms of his sentence are under seal. Mr. Kao has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is currently scheduled for January 17, 2023. The Government alleged that Mr. Henley submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Denesseria Slaton was charged separately and has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. On September 15, 2021, Mr. Fayne was sentenced to 210 months in prison. He was sentenced to 51 months in prison. The Government alleged that Mr. Robinson submitted fraudulent loan applications through his corporation ATeam LV, LLC obtaining approximately $1,502,270.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. Petty submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $155,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Government alleged that Mr. Sah submitted several fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $24.8 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Fouzi Darakhshan was charged with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, and several counts of false statements on loan applications. The Government alleged that Mr. Cotton submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $312,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Secret Service said there are currently 900 active criminal investigations into pandemic fraud. The case was brought in Detroit, Michigan. The Government alleged that Mr. Kanyike submitted several fraudulent loan applications seeking over $1.8 million in COVID-19 relief funds, of which he received $1.3 million. Tianna Hart was charged with one count of making false statements to an agency of the U.S. All rights reserved. Mr. Welch pled guilty and was sentenced to 5 years of probation on June 15, 2021. Mr. Olivetti pleaded guilty on December 13, 2021, and is scheduled for a pre-sentence conference on August 30, 2022. The Government alleged that Christopher and Erin Mazzei submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1.3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Baoke Zhang was charged with wire fraud. Most of the court clerk's employees who are under investigation had gotten PPP loans of about $20,000 by saying they had made at least $100,000 from an outside business in the year before they filed their applications, Murphy-Aguil said. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. This case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Government alleged that Mr. Yates the sole proprietor of Lone Star Tuning submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately $5,700,000.00 in COVD-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Mr. Kao, a former Government Contractor, submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $10 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Ms. Norton submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $7.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Search more than 11 million loans approved by lenders and disclosed by the Small Business Administration. The case was brought in Norfolk, Virginia. The Government alleged Zhang through Cloud Optimization, LLC submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately 41,525,000.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. Ms. McConnell pleaded guilty to the charges on September 7, 2021. The case was brought in Providence, Rhode Island. Damion McKenzie and Keyaira Bostic were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud. On May 20, 2021, Mr. Suber was sentenced to 24 months in prison. He was sentenced to 80 months in prison on March 3, 2022. Curtis and Dereen Porch were charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property. The case was brought in Billings, Montana. On December 9, 2020, Mr. Suber pleaded guilty to an information. Lola Kasali was charged with making false statements to a financial institution and bank fraud. On January 6, 2022, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison. On June 2, 2021, Mr. Smith was sentenced to 57 months in prison. Because PPP lending is closed to new applications, SBA's challenge is to effectively handle potentially fraudulent PPP loans to reduce the risk of financial loss and ensure only eligible borrowers receive forgiveness in accordance with program requirements. The Government alleged that Mr. Moller submitted several fraudulent loan applications seeking over $4.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Hashim Campbell was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison. The Government alleged that Mr. Crowther submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Foster pleaded not guilty on August 13, 2021, and his case is pending. The Government alleged Woods submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately $92,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Mr. Johnson through his company Million Man LLC submitted fraudulent loan application to obtain over $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Bryan Robinson was charged with wire fraud and engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. The Government alleged that the defendants conspired to submit fraudulent loan applications and obtain over $3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Garibyan filed fraudulent loan applications seeking over $57,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for his home health agency, GMA Home Health, Inc., which was never operational during the pandemic. The case was brought in Norfolk, Virginia. Around 1.8 million of the PPP's 11.8 million loans showed signs of fraud, according to an academic working paper cited by The New York Times. Mr. Knight has pleaded guilty on March 25, 2022, and his sentencing date is to be determined. Darrell Thomas, Andre Gaines, Kahlil Green, Bern Benoit, Carla Jackson, Ricky Dixon, Meghan Thomas, Jesika Blakely, Amanda Christian, Dwan Ashong, and twelve others were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, making false statements to a financial institution, and money laundering. 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. This case was brought in Las Vegas, Nevada. The case was brought in Boston, Massachusetts. The Government alleged that Mr. Lopez billed Medicare over $2.5 million worth of unnecessary medical equipment and submitted fraudulent loan applications for over $105,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. An increasing number of fraud schemes have come to light involving loans issued through . The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Brenizer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 57 months on June 17, 2022. The case was brought in Miami, Florida. The Government alleged that the two businessmen submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $500,000. Mr. Malanga pleaded guilty on June 28, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2022. Some people have already been convicted, while others are being secretly investigated. Dr. Joseph has pleaded not guilty.