Reports

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.

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.”

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.

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

A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for two fraud schemes, totaling nearly $300,000, including fraudulent loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and a so-called “transaction reversal” bank scheme.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this Inspection Report to assess the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) process for approving 7(a) loans for borrowers with unresolved pandemic loan compliance issues. From October 1, 2019 through May 8, 2023, SBA approved and disbursed 172,598 7(a) loans, totaling $83.4 billion. The 7(a) lenders who have delegated approval authority approved 92 percent of these loans and SBA approved the remaining 8 percent. SBA implemented a process to screen 7(a) loan applications for eligibility, which included screening for Paycheck Protection Program...

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging James Elliott Davis II (35, Ponte Vedra Beach) with 16 counts of bank fraud, 12 counts of wire fraud, and 1 count of money laundering and theft of mail. If convicted, Davis faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud, up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years in prison for the money laundering count, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the theft of mail count, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded.