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A former bank vice president in Wichita Falls, Texas was sentenced to four years in federal prison for a fraud scheme involving fraudulent Paycheck Protection Plan and Economic Injury Disaster loans.

Jarrell Curne, 36, Kansas City, Mo., pled guilty to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain a $312,500 Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

A Portage County man who orchestrated a financial conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has been sentenced to prison.

BOSTON – A former corrections officer employed by the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through CARES Act programs like the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

A co-founder of a lender service provider was sentenced to 10 years in prison for participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $63 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief , and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The defendant was also ordered to pay over $63 million in restitution.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury found Shawn Michael Simmerer (49, Florida) and Seth Downes (30, Michigan) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Simmerer was also found guilty of four counts of submitting false claims to the IRS, related to fraudulent Employee Retention Credits and Sick and Family Leave Credits. Simmerer and Downes face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, and Simmerer faces a maximum...

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Clarence Gardener (50, Odessa) with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Gardener faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Gardener that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $261,253.00, which represents the alleged proceeds traceable to the offense.

Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Lester John Parker, Jr. (55, Lehigh Acres) to ten years and one month in federal prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Parker pleaded guilty on July 9, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.