Reports

Seattle – A 30-year-old New York City man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 42 months in prison for three counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud related to his abuse of the COVID-19 Pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TAMIKA CHAPPELL (“CHAPPELL”), age 40, of New Orleans, LA, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024 before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier to three-counts, including making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), making false statements to the IRS, and theft of government funds.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MUNIRA SCHOFIELD (“SCHOFIELD”), age 28, a resident of LaPlace, La., pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024 before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. The charges stem from SCHOFIELD’s role in a conspiracy to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD’s mother, Lynn Schofield (“Lynn”), and brother, Bashir Schofield (“Bashir”), previously...

A Houston, Texas, woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently receiving Missouri and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits using the identity information of numerous other persons.

“As alleged, the defendant made a business out of defrauding the government by falsely claiming that she and others needed government loan benefits to pay their employees during the pandemic. This money was meant to help businesses weather the pandemic. In reality, the defendant was lining her own pockets,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue prosecuting those who took advantage of the COVID crisis and stole funds from vitally important government relief programs.”

An indictment accuses Preston Randall of fraudulently obtaining $620,000 in pandemic loans and $17,906 in disability payments.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mehdi Tazi (29, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and a substantive count of aggravated identity theft. Tazi entered a guilty plea on February 2, 2024. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Tazi to pay $1,070,647 in restitution, jointly with his co-conspirators who were previously sentenced for the below listed offenses.

A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging an Orange County man with wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly making fraudulent claims to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, two federal programs created to provide financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm because of the COVID-19 pandemic.