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Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Barber has sentenced Timothy Craig Jolloff (48, Fort Myers) and Lisa Ann Jolloff (58, Fort Myers) to eight years and one month, and three years, respectively, in federal prison for wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal monetary transactions. The Court also ordered the Jolloffs to pay $3.4 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to forfeit $3.4 million which was the proceeds of the offense. The Jolloffs entered guilty pleas on April 24, 2024.

A federal grand jury has returned a 43-count indictment charging a music label owner and purported anti-gang activist who is a long-time leader of a South Los Angeles street gang with dozens of felonies, including fraud, robbery, extortion, tax evasion, embezzlement of donations to his charity that receives public money, and running a racketeering conspiracy in which he allegedly murdered an aspiring musician, the Justice Department announced today.

Baltimore, Maryland – After a one-week trial, a federal jury found Nichelle Henson, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of making false statements and for bank fraud in connection with fraudulent applications Henson filed to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the names of multiple purported businesses that she had previously incorporated in the state of Maryland.

ATLANTA – Spencer Askew, the founder and former CEO of E-Freight Solutions Worldwide, LLC, a Georgia-based logistics and supply chain company, pleaded guilty to defrauding Vinings Bank in connection with obtaining a $1 million line of credit. Askew also pleaded guilty to making false statements to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in June 2020, falsely claiming that he had a relationship with 3M and could supply the VA with KN95-like masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Five defendants – including a California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatcher and her convicted-felon husband – have been taken into federal custody on a 10-count indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $3.3 million in COVID-19 government unemployment benefits using stolen identities and personal identifiable information, the Justice Department announced today.

A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment last week against Akash Kumar Singh, 48, of Sacramento, charging him with four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering.

FEROZ JALAL participated in a scheme to defraud banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Martin Kao, 51, of Honolulu, was sentenced today in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 87 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised released for COVID-relief wire fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud.

Christopher Lee Carroll was also ordered to pay restitution of $3 million.

Patrick Strauss, 54, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months of probation – including six months of home confinement to be followed by a period of intermittent incarceration, that is, 26 weekends in jail – and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $304,900 and fined $8,784, all for participating in a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained more than $304,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Victor Ojo, 30, of Belcamp, Maryland, to 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Victor Ojo received the sentence for aggravated identity theft and his role in an attempted bank-fraud scheme that had an intended loss amount of $1.5 million.

CINCINNATI – Joseph Lentine III, 55, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme involving millions of dollars.

A former employee of the California Employment Development Department, which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program, pleaded guilty this afternoon to fraudulently obtaining more than $750,000 in COVID jobless relief.

Darmani Hawkins, 21, of Aurora, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud; conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and mail theft as part of schemes to fraudulently obtain COVID-era state unemployment benefits and, separately, to steal checks from the mail, alter them, and deposit them.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Following four days of testimony before a federal jury, a Raleigh man and business owner pled guilty to a Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud, that netted the man almost $300,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Act (PPP) COVID-19 loans. This fraud was part of a multimillion-dollar national scheme, and, to date, more than 30 defendants have pled guilty and 26 have been sentenced.

A South Bay man who provided lifestyle and personal development coaching to students in public schools through a non-profit he founded pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, including by using stolen identities.

YASIR G. HAMED, 59, of Woodbridge, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses stemming from an alleged scheme to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic relief program of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

On Nov. 15, Conrad Brandon Bernard, 24, pled guilty in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to committing bank fraud and identity theft during a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in Covid-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments.

SAN DIEGO – After an eight-day trial, a federal jury has convicted Denny Thakorbhai Bhakta on all 25 counts of securities fraud, bank fraud and money laundering in connection with a $35 million dollar investment fraud scheme and COVID-relief fraud scheme.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A former branch manager of a national financial institution was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for using his position to organize a conspiracy to help individuals obtain at least 38 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling approximately $5 million.

U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud for his participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, joined the announcement. # # # #

A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for stealing more than $147,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits from the Oregon Employment Department (OED).

NEWARK, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County admitted his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds.

BOSTON – A Lawrence woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston for using stolen identities of taxpayers and businesspeople to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a bank, and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Melissa Stevenson submitted three fraudulent applications for PPP loans from March 2021 through December 2021 that yielded a total of $263,284.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $4.8 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for himself and others.

U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging John L. Hutchins, 70, of Lewiston, NY, and Roberto Soliman, 40, of Niagara Falls, NY, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud. In addition, defendant Hutchins is charged with making a false statement and defendant Soliman is charged with engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

Kahroun Armstrong and Dortatius Hill were indicted on two counts bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement.

Law enforcement officials today arrested six Orange County residents charged in three indictments alleging, among other crimes, they stole identities to defraud California’s unemployment insurance (UI) system and to fraudulently apply for lines of credit from a lender, using the identity theft victims’ homes as collateral.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Diop McKenzie (30, Cape Coral) to 45 months in federal prison for bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court ordered McKenzie to pay restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $117,832, the proceeds of the bank and wire fraud.

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.

BOSTON – A Brooklyn, N.Y. man pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to steal over $3 million in COVID relief tax credits using the stolen identity of a corporate executive in New Jersey.

CAMDEN, N.J. – Three New Jersey residents were indicted for their role in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme and two of the three were indicted for fraudulently obtaining approximately $3 million of federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

Christopher Carroll fraudulently obtained nearly $3 million in pandemic relief loans, evidence and testimony at trial showed.

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin today sentenced Damilola Ojo, age 31, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for charges related to a bank fraud scheme totaling more than $1.8 million. As part of his plea, Ojo also admitted to obtaining a fraudulent $475,000 COVID-19 CARES Act loan. Judge Rubin ordered Ojo to forfeit $20,000 and to pay restitution of $546,000.

Edna McGowan-Baker engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Jared Dean Eakes (33, Jacksonville) with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. If convicted, Eakes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 30 years’ imprisonment for each bank fraud count. The indictment also notifies Eakes that the United States is seeking orders of forfeiture in the total amount of $7,489,732.20, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida to combat fraud related to COVID-19. This work has included complementary efforts 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.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A North Carolina woman admitted conspiring to submit fraudulent applications leading to the issuance of 29 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling more than $3.5 million.