Reports

LAS VEGAS – A federal jury convicted a Nevada man Wednesday for defrauding three banks of more than $11.2 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds intended to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic.

Today, U.S. Senior District Judge sentenced Alexandra Acosta, a Broward deputy sheriff and SWAT team member, to 4 months’ imprisonment after a jury convicted her of one count of conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), two counts of false statements to the SBA, and one count of wire fraud, all in relation to her COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Anuli Okeke, the former vice president and manager of a New York branch of Popular Bank was convicted yesterday afternoon by a federal jury in Brooklyn of all four counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The charges arose out of a scheme the defendant led to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 5, a federal jury in Miami convicted a Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy of conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA), two counts of false statements to the SBA, and wire fraud, all in relation to her COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Stephanie Diane Smith, 54, of Sunrise, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 7 months in prison for participating in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme in which she received two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In March 2024, a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale found Smith guilty of two counts of wire fraud in connection with the scheme.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for a scheme to submit false applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) funds through the Small Business Administration (SBA) that were made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Tulsa, Oklahoma – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Malcolm Andre Jones, 32, of Broken Arrow, to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for Wire Fraud. Judge Frizzell further ordered Jones to pay $20,665 in restitution.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva to two and a half years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for devising a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $550,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan applications that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

A California man made his initial appearance in Alexandria, Virginia, today to face charges for a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $10 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loans.

On March 5, a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale convicted a Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy of two counts of wire fraud for her COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.