Reports

Baltimore, Maryland – Natonia Johnson, 52, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty today, to one count of wire fraud in connection with a bribery scheme that she conducted as a Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) contractor to issue fraudulent unemployment insurance funds. Johnson assisted friends, family members, and strangers with fraudulently filing and obtaining UI benefits they were not eligible to receive in exchange for bribes and kickback payments.

Shahron Vaulx submitted eight fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications between May 2020 and June 2021.

Jamika Weese, a/k/a Jae, was sentenced to federal prison for operating a brothel out of an Atlanta apartment from which she transported women to other states for commercial sex. Weese also fraudulently obtained nearly $70,000 worth of federal loans intended to assist legitimate businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roosevelt Gulley III, 41, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Baltimore, Maryland – Edward McCorkle, 37, of Baltimore County, Maryland, pled guilty today, to one count of wire fraud, in connection with submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. According to his plea agreement, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through February 2021 in the District of Maryland, McCorkle engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions — including Cross River Bank, and the SBA — to obtain fraudulent loans for various purported businesses that he previously established under the PPP and EIDL program.

John J. Diehl Jr. pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud.

Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Jemel Lyles, 43, of Washington, DC, to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $281,947 in restitution, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In his guilty plea, Lyles admitted to submitting applications for and receiving funds from six fraudulent CARES Act loans. Additionally, Lyles violated his supervised release from a previous federal conviction for obstruction of an audit.

BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.

Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Ahmed Hussain, 23, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 102 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Boardman also ordered Hussain to pay $557,078 in restitution. The sentence is in connection with Hussain’s convictions on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, stemming from Hussain submitting fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance claims. Hussain’s sentence also covers Hussain’s convictions on felon in possession of a firearm and possession with...