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Aug. 21, 2024 ¡ª Two additional defendants were sentenced this week in a national COVID-19 fraud, including, Toni A. Smith, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison; and Dontae Antonio Murphy, who was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Collectively, these Defendants were also ordered to pay several hundred thousand dollars in restitution to the Small Business Administration, which included interest and processing fees, for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Act (¡°PPP¡±) COVID-19 loans.

August 4, 2023 ¡ª Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that on August 3, 2023, Alma L. Zapien, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 3, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for money laundering conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Zapien to 60 months¡¯ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will also be subject to a three-year term of supervised release.

July 7, 2023 ¡ª United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Janola Massaquoi, of Shreveport, Louisiana was sentenced late yesterday by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for making false statements to a federal agency in connection with the application for a CARES Act loan. Massaquoi was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $250,000. She will serve 3 years of supervised release following her release from prison.

July 6, 2023 ¡ª Lenille Mitia Woodard and Irene Nicole Edwards each pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Act ("PPP") COVID-19 loans. The defendants sought relief on behalf of companies they owned purportedly being engaged in event promotion and a beauty salon. They all face up to 20 years in prison. Fifteen defendants, including Woodard and Edwards, have pled guilty in this scheme in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

December 5, 2023 ¡ª Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentencing of a former executive director for the Alabama Association for Career and Technical Education for embezzlement of federal funds and tax crimes. On December 1, 2023, a federal judge sentenced Doris Joann Gilmore a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 37 months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered that Gilmore serve three years of supervised release following her prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.

December 19, 2023 ¡ª A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging a New Jersey man for his alleged participation in a scheme to obtain, through multiple fraudulent loan applications, more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and to launder the money through a series of financial transactions.

Jan. 19, 2024 ¡ª On Jan. 16, 2024, a federal judge sentenced Zsa Zsa Bouvier Couch from Montgomery, Alabama, to 45 months in prison following her convictions for offenses related to fraudulent loans she received through the Paycheck Protection Program, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. In addition, the judge ordered that Couch serve three years of supervised release following her prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.

Jan. 26, 2024 ¡ª A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Dory Lindsay Ford with charges related to COVID fraud, including bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office; and Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Weston King.

April 5, 2024 ¡ª A federal grand jury in Cleveland returned a 13-count indictment charging two individuals for their alleged roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Joseph Oloyede of Medina, Ohio and Edward Oluwasanmi of Willoughby, Ohio are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses.

October 6, 2023 ¡ª Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tamika R. Cross, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Omaha by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 42 months¡¯ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, Cross will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Cross to pay restitution of $552,287.26.