Reports

An Atlanta man who provided phony documentation to receive small business pandemic relief payments has been sentenced to prison and ordered to repay the funding.

A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted a Georgia attorney and former City of Atlanta police officer yesterday of fraudulently obtaining over $7 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Andy Steven Johnson, a correctional officer and member of the Special Investigative Services team at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, pleaded guilty to stealing money from an inmate’s CashApp account and also using a business that did not exist to fraudulently apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan.

A Georgia man has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay substantial restitution for leading a conspiracy that stole nearly $2 million in COVID-19 small business relief funding.

As part of a coordinated nationwide effort to fight COVID-19 fraud, the Southern District of Georgia has taken action against individuals who illegally obtained nearly $11 million in funds intended to help struggling small businesses during the global pandemic.

Lakisha Swope has been sentenced to federal prison for obtaining more than $3.6 million by submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) applications.

Jose Fernandez has been sentenced for seeking over $5 million by submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) applications, filing false tax returns using stolen identities, using credit cards he obtained with stolen identities, and check fraud. He ultimately obtained more than $2 million in fraudulent funds, which he then used for his personal benefit.