The case was brought in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Phillip Augustin was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and obstruction of justice. Campbell pleaded guilty on September 23, 2021, and his sentencing date has not been scheduled at this time. On November 2, 2021, she was sentenced to 78 months in prison. 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. The case was brought in Los Angeles, California. The Government alleged that Ms. Denton submitted fraudulent loan applications for $491,310 in COVID-19 relief funds. Scott Suber was charged with one count of bank fraud. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Ms. Bain pled guilty and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on December 9, 202. The case was brought in New Haven, Connecticut. "The two operating components of the [SBA-OIG] are the Auditing Division and the Investigations Division. She was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day. Red Flags: The First Year of COVID-19 Loan Fraud Cases - POGO See Wook Chung was charged with fraud by wire, radio, or television. Jones pleaded guilty on June 1, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 27, 2022. Mr. Jalloul pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 120 months in prison on April 21, 2022. Mr. Mancieri has a change of hearing plea scheduled for August 15, 2022. The Government alleged that, while she was out on bond in a pre-existing healthcare fraud case, Ms. Terry submitted fraudulent loan applications to obtain $290,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Eustache pleaded guilty to an information on July 8, 2021. In the New York case, Mr. Sadleir pleaded guilty on January 19, 2022 and his sentencing hearing is to be determined. Maurice Mills was charged with one count of wire fraud. David Hines was charged with wire fraud, making false statements to a lending institution, bank fraud, and money laundering. Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are . He was sentenced to 135 months in prison on July 19, 2022. The Government alleged that that Ms. Williams submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $137,500 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. The Government alleged that Ms. Lawson and Ms. Quarterman submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of the other defendants seeking over $700,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The case was brought in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Government alleged that Hatter submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance applications obtaining approximately $3 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Crosby is scheduled to go to trial on September 20, 2022. The Government alleged that Cisternino submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $7.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Israyelyan pleaded guilty on March 18, 2022, and his sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for September 19, 2022. The case was brought in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. On March 11, 2021, Bern Benoit pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. The case was brought in Los Angeles, California. All rights reserved. The Government alleged that Campbell through Expert Tax Services, and Apex Accounting & Tax Inc., submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately $100,000 in commission 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. The Government alleged that Makki filed ten fraudulent loan applications seeking over $1.08 million in COVID-19 relief funds and transferred the funds to purchase a condo in Lebanon. On November 15, 2021, Richard Ayvazyan was sentenced to 17 years and Marietta Terabelian was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Mr. Buoi was found guilty of all charges on February 24, 2022. COVID relief PPP fraud probe includes over 50 employees in Cook County Mr. Tran pleaded guilty on June 30, 2022, to two counts of wire fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on November 3, 2022. Woods and Gilchrist are both licensed attorneys. 2022 by The Church Law Firm LLC. Ms. Miller has pleaded not guilty, and trial is scheduled for December 6, 2022. Peter Peacock Blood was charged with two counts of making false statements on a loan application. Marvin Fitzgerald was charged with false statements. The case was brought in San Francisco, California. The case was brought in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and it is currently pending. The case was brought in Greenbelt, Maryland. On May 27, 2021, Edvard Paronyan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and one count of money laundering. Antonio Hosey was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Johnny Ho was charged with attempt and conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud by wire, radio or television and engaging in monetary transactions. There are, of course, many other CARES Act fraud investigations currently pending that may later result in criminal charges. On November 2, 2021, Charles Petty pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and his sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2022. The Government also alleged that Israyelyan used the funds for his own personal use and transferred the proceeds to his family members. The Government alleged that Mr. Timothy Williams was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Mr. McGee pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled for January 24, 2023. 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. On October 8, 2021, Damion McKenzie pleaded guilty, and he was sentenced to 44 months on January 21, 2022. Stanley Dorceus was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United Sates. The case was brought in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Samuel Yates was charged with fraud by wire, radio, or television. Mr. Kasali was sentenced to 70 months in prison on April 7, 2022. Ms. Okeke has pleaded not guilty, and her case is pending. Small Business Administration (SBA) released a list of all the businesses their loan amount with Bank and business details. Rowlando Hatter, Jr. and Clyde Anthony Parker, Jr, were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. 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. She was sentenced to 41 months in prison. The case was brought in Alexandria, Virginia. On September 23, 2021, Mr. Henley was sentenced to 6 months in prison. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. VanPelt pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2022. Rosado pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 37 months on December 3, 2021. The PPP provides businesses with forgivable loans to pay for temporary payroll costs and certain other business expenses including mortgages, rent, and utilities. Raji was sentenced to 70 months in prison on Mary 20, 2022, and Lawals is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24, 2022. Mr. Lewis was sentenced to 22 months in prison on June 29, 2022. The case was brought in Valdosta, Georgia. Moe Ayemen Mathews was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The case was brought in Miami, Florida. The case was brought in Ocala, Florida and his trial is currently scheduled for August 1, 2022. The Government alleged that Cartlidge, Redfern, and McMiller were recruited to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking over $2.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. On September 16, 2021, Mr. Shah was sentenced to 31 months in prison. Darius Hollis was charged with wire fraud. Ava Misseldine was charged with passport fraud, social security number fraud, aggravated identity theft and fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. Roosevelt Roshelle Hunt was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison on February 2, 2022. Federal prosecutors and criminal investigators from various federal agencies are actively looking for possible PPP loan fraud, EIDL loan fraud, and other CARES Act violations in an attempt to recover money that may have been fraudulently obtained from COVID-19 relief programs. The Government alleged that Mr. Moller submitted several fraudulent loan applications seeking over $4.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Ms. Miller used other peoples personal identifying information to open bank accounts and submit fraudulent loan applications for over $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The defendants have been charged by complaint. Contact the PPP Loan Fraud Defense Lawyers at Oberheiden P.C. The case was brought in Providence, Rhode Island. The case was brought in Norfolk, Virginia. Mr. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The Government alleged that Mr. Kamgaing submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds. No guarantees are made as to the accuracy of the data. David Staveley and David Butziger were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to make false statement to the SBA, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. The case was brought in Boston, Massachusetts. On August 10, 2021, Mr. Hsu was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Darius McCants was charged with attempt and conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud. Adam Arena was charged with attempt and conspiracy to a commit mail fraud and engaging in monetary transactions. The Government alleged that Ms. Jackson submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $2.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Dorceus pleaded guilty, and the sentencing date is to be determined. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. On August 30, 2021, Mr. Clark was sentenced to 33 months in prison. On December 7, 2020, Mr. Goldstein pleaded guilty. The Government alleged that Mr. Magana submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, obtained over $1 million. The case was brought in Las Vegas, Nevada. On March 9, 2022, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison. 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. Adarin Jones pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022, and is scheduled for sentencing on October 6, 2022. 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. Zhang pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in prison on May 7, 2021. Help us crowdsource fraud detection in the PPP program! Rocco Americo Malanga was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The other defendants have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is scheduled for September 15, 2022. The Government alleged Woods submitted fraudulent loan applications obtaining approximately $92,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Mr. Jaafar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the U.S. Ms. Kirkland pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Search for PPP loan applications by organization, lender, zip code and business type. This case was brought in Boise, Idaho. . 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 was brought in Providence, Rhode Island. The woman pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making false statements in response to a grand jury's indictment last year. PDF President and Chief Executive Officer Cross River Bank 400 Kelby St Brandon Casutt was charged with making false statements to a bank, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The Government also alleged that Jalloul would charge the clients a 2-20% commission on the loans they received. Levelle Harris was charged with 14 counts of wire fraud. Mr. Mason pleaded guilty on January 4, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2022. On August 3, 2021, Mr. Hayes was sentenced to 30 months in prison. The case was brought in Seattle, Washington. Nikia. The Government alleged that Mr. Okojie submitted at least 8 fraudulent loan applications for companies that did not exist seeking millions in COVID-19 relief funds. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2021. 1343) and making false statements . The case was brought in Augusta, Georgia. Matthews pleaded guilty on May 27, 2022, and is scheduled for sentencing on October 7, 2022. The Government alleged that Mr. Redding submitted 2 fraudulent loan applications seeking over $40,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Benjamin Hayford was charged with bank fraud and four counts of making false statements to a financial institution. The case was brought in Brooklyn, New York. Mr. McLeod and Ms. Wilson have both pleaded guilty. Both Christopher and Erin Mazzei pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial on August 9, 2022. Frank Hamilton, Michael Jones, Peter An, Edwin Bonilla, Tina Chen, Joseph Greco, Timothy Park, and Kenny Tran were charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Both Hatter and Parker have pleaded not guilty and their case is pending. 94% of the total 2020 PPP loan value has been forgiven, in full or in part. 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. Banks will likely be targeted in the coming months for their roles with the Paycheck Protection Program and other lending during the pandemic. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The case was brought in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Government alleged Mr. Clark participated in a conspiracy with others that involved submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking a total of $24 million in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. He was sentenced to 51 months in prison on June 7, 2022. On August 24, 2021, Mr. Mohan was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Brian Criss was charged with fraud by wire, radio, or television and Bank fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Mason, along with 21 other individuals, conspired to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking over $3.8 million in COVID-19 relief funds. His sentencing hearing was held on March 4, 2022. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. Hashim Campbell was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Mr. and Ms. Mitchum pleaded guilty on January 12, 2022 and are scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2022. The case was brought in Houston, Texas. In February Damion McKenzie and Keyaira Bostic were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud. On September 3, 2021, he pleaded guilty. Robert Bearden was charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds. Mr. Tezna pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. The case was brought in Los Angeles, California. More than 15% of PPP loans had at least one indication of potential fraud. | Frequently Asked Questions , by Moiz Syed and Derek Willis, July 7, 2020. The Government alleged that the defendants submitted falsified loan applications obtaining approximately $396,875.00 in COVI-19 relief funds. Mr. Fitzgerald pled guilty and was sentenced to 2 years probation on June 3, 2021. The case was brought in Albany, Georgia. Ms. Shearod pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2022. Investigations by the DOJ and U.S. IR-2021-65, March 25, 2021 The Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) marks the one-year anniversary of the Coronavirus Aid, . The Government alleged that Ms. Martins submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $40,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. SBA Paycheck Protection Program Data Lookup - FederalPay Shanrika Duhart was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Arena submitted fraudulent loan application for ADA Auto Group LLC obtaining approximately $954,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. On January 6, 2022, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison. PPP Loan Fraud is Out of Control! Case Investigations & EIDL Fraud Don Cisternino was extradited from Croatia to face wire fraud, identity fraud, and illegal monetary transaction charges. The case was brought in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Redfern and Mr. McMiller both pleaded guilty on September 23, 2021, to multiple counts of wire fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Cherry submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained $190,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Christina McConnell was charged with two counts of illegal monetary transactions. On October 21, 2021, Ms. Redding was sentenced to 27 months in prison. The case was brought in Savannah, Georgia. Carlos Belone was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and false statements to a financial institute. Data last refreshed on 1/31/2022. The case was brought in Miami, Florida. The Government alleged that Mathews submitted 38 fraudulent loan applications obtaining over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Shaquandra Woods, Courtney Gilchrist, and Kenneth Jackson were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false statements on loan applications, and false documents. Mr. Shah has pleaded not guilty. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The case was brought in Alexandria, Virginia. The Government alleged that Mr. Augustin submitted fraudulent loan applications for his company Clear Vision Music Group LLC obtaining more than $24 million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds. Chandra Norton was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. We have helped our clients avoid criminal charges, negotiate fair resolutions, and fight back in court against exaggerated allegations of fraud. The Government alleged that Mr. Ridge submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking almost $500,000 in COVID-19 relief loans, of which he obtained $160,000. The Government alleged that Mr. Fitzgerald-Holley submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained approximately $305,854.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. Ms. Hart pleaded guilty on April 6, 2022, and was sentenced on July 13, 2022 but the terms of her sentence are under seal. All the defendants pleaded guilty in October 2021. PPP Fraud Investigations: What you need to know now. Maurice Kamgaing was charged with wire fraud in relation to a major disaster or emergency benefit, making false statements to a bank, and money laundering. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Serving clients across the United States Kyle Brenizer was charged with several counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. Organizations approved for loans between $150,000 and $10 million. 4,730. lenders have requested forgiveness for 2020 PPP loans. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2022. Woods pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 months in prison on July 15, 2021. 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. The Government alleged that Jalloul, a tax consultant, submitted approximately 170 loan applications for over 160 of his clients seeking over $23 million in COVID-19 relief funds. She was sentenced to 2 years of probation on February 28, 2022. The case was brought in Houston, Texas. Andre McBreairty was charged with false statements. Nicholas Jones was charged with wire fraud and falsification of records. The case was brought in Las Vega, Nevada. On October 21, 2021, Mr. Argires was sentenced to 8 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. The case was brought in Denver, Colorado. Mark Stewart was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. The case was brought in Fort Lauderdale. The case was brought in Houston, Texas. 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. Mack Devon Knight was charged with two counts of wire fraud, one count of making a false statement, one count of making a false statement on a loan application, and one count of money laundering. reports related to PPP loans with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Mr. Abramovs has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2022. Dr. Joseph has pleaded not guilty. Mr. Staveley has also been charged separately with aggravated identity theft and failing to appear in court when required. The case was brought in New Orleans, Louisiana. The case was brought in Seattle, Washington. The Government alleged that Mr. Belone submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicare through his companies R&S Pharmacy Inc, and R&S DME Service, LLC obtaining approximately $2,536,411.00 During the investigation it was revealed that Mr. Belone submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of R&S Pharmacy and obtained approximately $22,500.00 in COVID-19 relief funds. PPP-Loan Investigation Links Fraud Loans to Fintech Companies The case was brought in Sherman, Texas. The Government alleged that Ms. Hart, a former Deputy Sheriff, made a false statement to the SBA in her PPP application. On February 3, 2022, she was sentenced to 44 months. Steven Goldstein was charged with fraud in connection with major disaster benefits. The Government alleged that Mr. Gaughan submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $2.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Latoya Stanley and her partner, Johnny Philus were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov. Disclaimer|Sitemap. Jacinthia Williams was charged with one count of wire fraud. Wahid Mohamed Makki was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Mr. Tezna was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The case was brought in Miami, Florida. Tristan Pan was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The Government alleged that Mr. Thomas recruited the other defendants to submit fraudulent loan applications on behalf of fourteen different businesses, which did not have any employees or business expenses, seeking over $12 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Ms. Norton pleaded guilty on November 12, 2020, and she is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2022. The Government alleged that the married couple defrauded 1,700 victims in a scheme involving applying for small business loans and fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits. Elias Eldabbagh was charged with wire fraud, monetary transaction of criminally derived property, aggravated identity theft, and destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure. The Government alleged that Mr. Hosey knowingly and willfully conspired to commit fraud against the United States regarding COVDI-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 Government alleged that Ms. Jaworska submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking $6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The case was brought in Monroe, Louisiana. 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 the defendants participated in a conspiracy with others that involved submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking a total of $24 million in COVID-19 relief funds. E! The Government alleged that Mr. Rai submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $10 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Government alleged that Mr. Smith submitted fraudulent loan applications and obtained over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. On January 20, 2022, he was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Mr. Jordan and Mr. El have pleaded not guilty, and their cases are pending. Luke Pierre, Jr. was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) pledges continued commitment to Mr. Johnson pleaded guilty. On October 21, 2021, Ms. Redding was sentenced to 27 months in prison. On October 20, 2021, Mr. The case was brought in Atlanta, Georgia. The case was brought in Seattle, Washington. On May 17, 2021, Mr. Staveley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court. On July 13, 2021, Ms. Cartwright-Powers pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with emergency benefits. The Government alleged that Mr. Carter, a police officer in Coral Springs, submitted a fraudulent loan application seeking almost $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Adley Bernadin was charged with wire fraud. Bernadin pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28, 2022. Brandon Ridge was charged with brank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The case was brought in Beaumont, Texas. The Government alleged that Doss submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $220,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Damilola Lawal and Idowu Raji were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and related charges. Mr. Kanyike has pleaded guilty. Mr. Sah had pleaded guilty. Ms. Swope and Ms. Pearson have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is scheduled for August 22, 2022. The Government alleged that Mr. Bellamy, a former NFL player, worked with several others to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $24 million in COVID-19 relief funds, and that Mr. Bellamy obtained $1.2 million as a result. All rights reserved. Mary Benton, Angelica Cartwright-Powers, Michael Lewis, and Michael White were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with major disaster benefits and mail fraud. Majority of Paycheck Protection Program loans have been forgiven, SBA The Government alleged Mr. Hollis knowingly devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the State of Georgia, the Department of Labor, and the United States to obtain money. They also alleged that he submitted fraudulent loan applications seeking over $6.9 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Mark Mason, Jr. was charged with one count of wire fraud and money laundering.