Reports

BOSTON – A Brockton man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for using others’ identities to fraudulently obtain over $60,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Benefits and for using one of those identities to fraudulently obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license.

CAMDEN, N.J. – Five individuals were charged for their roles in fraudulently obtaining federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and for laundering the loan proceeds; two other individuals pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining PPP and EIDL loans.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment charging Glynn Paul Hubbard, Jr., 45, of Charlotte, with wire fraud and money laundering

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Deborah Budhraj, age 52, and her husband Adesh Budhraj, age 53, of Ballston Lake, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring with each other

DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Ikponmwosa Pero Erhinmwinrose has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

A Tipp City, Ohio man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 18 months in prison for defrauding a Dayton non-profit organization of rental assistance funds.

An Orlando, Florida man pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making false statements related to five coronavirus relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans and four Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). The businesses were not open when he sought the loans.

DETROIT - Semaje Reffigee, a former employee of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA), was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment today arising from her participation in a $313,000

NEW ORLEANS – LYNN SCHOFIELD, age 60, and BASHIR SCHOFIELD, age 23, residents of LaPlace, Louisiana, were federally charged on July 13, 2023 for preparing and filing false loan applications related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. LYNN SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. BASHIR SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States...

“Using fraud and deceit, the defendant callously stole millions of dollars during an unprecedented public health crisis at the expense of American small business owners,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Those who engaged in blatant theft of taxpayer dollars intended to assist legitimate businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic should know they will be aggressively prosecuted by our Office.”

Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Timothy Craig Jolloff (46, Fort Myers) and Lisa Ann Jolloff (56, Fort Myers) with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal monetary transactions. Timothy Jolloff is also charged with multiple counts of bank fraud. The chart below summarizes the indictment charges and maximum penalties as to each defendant.

DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Edward Baker Harrington, age 59, of Idaho Springs, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering. Harrington was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,078,033.50.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain over $450,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds.

MIAMI – A Miami federal grand jury has charged Anthony Faustin , 28 , of Homestead, Florida, with conspiracy, wire and bank fraud, and access device and aggravated

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the United States Attorney’s Office’s (USAO-MDFL) Criminal, Asset Recovery, Appellate, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

SAN DIEGO – Constantin Sandu of Romania pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he masterminded a scheme to steal more than $5 million in California unemployment insurance benefits intended to help workers impacted by the pandemic.

A woman serving a life sentence in state prison for murder was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in federal prison for leading a ring that fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in California unemployment insurance (UI) benefits – mostly pandemic-related relief – by using other people’s identities, some of which belonged to her fellow California prison inmates.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Lenille Mitia Woodard, 36; and Irene Nicole Edwards, 35, each pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck

In 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

MIAMI – Samuel Harris, 43, who was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department (“MDPD”), has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned a superseding indictment charging four men with one count of conspiracy to launder funds from wire, mail, and access device fraud schemes. One defendant, Oluwasegun Baiyewu, was previously charged on Oct. 21, 2021.

NEWARK N.J. – A New Jersey and Texas man and woman were arrested in Texas on charges related to fraudulently obtaining Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) totaling approximately $790,000.

NEWARK, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man admitted his role in a durable medical equipment kickback scheme.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On June 28, 2023, Sarrah Denton Willhite, 35, of Gatlinburg Tennessee was sentenced to 27 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that KONRAD BICHER pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent operation of real estate companies, including by entering lease agreements for residential apartment units in Manhattan on false and fraudulent pretenses and by making false statements to obtain loans guaranteed by the United States government.

Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Alexander Barabash, age 52, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 14 months in federal prison, followed by six months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release, for wire fraud relating to the submission of fraudulent Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act loan applications. The CARES Act was enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Jerry Phillips, a/k/a “Tian Juzo,” age 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of a machine gun, related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program loan applications (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster loan applications (“EIDL”), and unemployment insurance claims. Judge Chuang also ordered Phillips to pay restitution of $1,235...

MIAMI – A federal magistrate judge in Miami has unsealed an indictment charging Patrick Ductant, 35, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Kervens Saint-Hilaire, 35, of Hollywood, Fla., and Vladimir

BOSTON – A West Boylston man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to possessing cocaine intended for distribution and wire fraud with respect to COVID-19 relief programs.

Ashford Richardson has been sentenced to two and a half additional years in prison for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) shortly after being released from prison on federal drug trafficking charges. He was on supervised release and subject to monitoring by the U.S. Probation Office when he committed these new crimes.

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Arthur Cornwall, a signal maintainer with the New York City Transit Authority, and Sean Williams, a New York State Court Officer, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with their receipt of approximately $770,000 in small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP).

A Kansas City, Mo., man who formerly lived in Columbia, Mo., has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a $1.1 million insurance fraud conspiracy that involved false claims of injuries suffered in car accidents, as well as to his role in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief benefits.

Seattle – A wide ranging fraud scheme, led by 29-year-old Paradise Williams, of Phoenix, was detailed today in a 26-count indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging GLENROY WALKER, HOWARD LEVY, SHERRIL BAEZ, NORMA GETTEN, DONNAT POWELL, and GARY WHEELER with conspiring to commit wire fraud by submitting fraudulent applications for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”).

A Plano dentist has been sentenced to federal prison for COVID-19 relief related violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

A Plano dentist has been sentenced to federal prison for COVID-19 relief related violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man admitted laundering the proceeds of fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Olaolu Alabi, age 40, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Alabi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, in relation to multiple financial fraud schemes. Judge Gallagher also ordered Alabi to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $500,000 and will determine the amount of restitution at a later date.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kenyatta Phipps, 46, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to wire fraud. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Lawrence A. Walker, age 63, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, for fraudulently obtaining more than $262,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), intended to provide financial assistance to small businesses under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

DETROIT - Three Macomb County residents were charged for their alleged roles in a multi-million-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison