Age. She's accused of making up fake businesses to collect more than $20,000 through. Together, more than 5.5 million PPP loans were approved totaling more than $557.8 billion. Peralta-Gutierrez was arrested last month, and a federal grand jury returned his indictment for wire fraud conspiracy Monday. Gray was able to get over $550,000 in prepaid debit cards in her mailbox, as well as $20,833 to be deposited into her bank account, which she was not entitled to, officials say. In Denton, 97% of the . Investigators say those accused made false statements about things like how many people they employ, their average monthly revenue, and payroll figures. The tool below can be used to search all publicly released PPP recipients in LA. Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian from LA spent the money on a $3.25-million Mediterranean-style villa, gold coins, diamond . The forgivable loans were meant to cover payroll for employees and, later, other eligible expenses at a time when customers werent coming in. Contact us today for a confidential, no-cost consultation. Copyright 2020 WAFB. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today the indictment of SHARNAE EVERY ("EVERY"), age 27, of Houston, Texas, who was charged with one (1) count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 and two (2) counts of Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States [] During round 1 of the paycheck protection program, STAGE 2 SECURITY LLC requested a PPP loan for 460100 USD. On April 7, 2020, Kamgaing reportedly filed an application for a PPP loan for Apiagne, Inc., a technology company with a lab located at 215 Balfour Dr. in Archdale. The Department of Justice, and in particular my office here in the Middle District of Louisiana, is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who abuse the system for personal gain and will use every resource at our disposal to protect those federal dollars and the businesses they are intended to help. Monroe, LA: Monroe, LA. EVERY received these funds into her Current account, her Cash App account, or into her boyfriends Current account. Every one of the phony and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs was fabricated by them. EVERYcreated all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. For one woman this could potential result in jail time. 650 Poydras Street, Suite 1600 - New Orleans, LA 70130, Download 2_ecf_doc_1_-_sharnae_every_indictment_redacted_sanitized.pdf. Former Louisiana Resident Indicted for Preparing Over 110 Fraudulent PPP Loan Applications Totaling Over $1.1 Million Dollars. The tool below can be used to search all publicly released PPP recipients in LA. Three women, who were employees of U.S. Filing a PPP loan fraud case is a powerful means for Louisiana citizens to bring tax dollar waste and abuse to light. OnderLaw, LLC - PPP Loan Fraud Whistleblower Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Lenders approved that amount for eight people, seven of whom got checks. (Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus). The Paycheck Protection Program saved millions of jobs. As a result many are dipping into government funding they dont actually qualify for. a washington state tech executive was sentenced today in the western district of washington to two years in prison for perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain covid-19 disaster relief loans guaranteed by the small business administration (sba) through the economic injury disaster loan (eidl) and the paycheck protection program (ppp) under Amount; Monroe, LA. According to todays indictment,EVERYcreated a fictitious business called Natural Hair Afro, LLC, Houma, LA 70360 and used this fictitious business name on nearly all of the fraudulent PPP loan applications. Louisiana PPP loan fraud cases may be initiated by employees of banks who disperse PPP funds in Louisiana, employees of companies who have received CARES Act aid in Louisiana, or any other individual who has inside information on a PPP loan fraud case originating in Louisiana. Mon, Dec 26, 2022 . EVERYprimarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. So far, six. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two. Many people have lost their jobs indefinitely are are struggling to find new sources of income. Follow this link to report a typo or other issue. All rights reserved. Louisiana whistleblowers in successful PPP loan fraud cases are compensated for their efforts and have the satisfaction of exposing fraud and abuse. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Edward Rivera, COVID-19 Fraud Coordinator. Summary of PPP Loans in Louisiana A total of 73,824 loans were distributed to Louisiana leading to a reported 799,664 jobs being retained. AGs Office announces more than 50 arrests connected to Paycheck Protection Program fraud, Texarkana man on motorcycle injured after allegedly refusing to pull over for state trooper, Weekly Report: Arkansas Dept. A borrower applied for a PPP loan from a lender or bank. Mr. Santemore's pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022, and was sentenced on July 25, 2022 but the terms of his sentence are under seal. From fabricating false companies to inaccurately representing the number of workers employed, PPP fraud in Louisiana is a serious abuse of federal relief funds that has contributed to . Rudolph Brooks, Jr., 45, was arrested earlier this month after allegedly faking tax returns and payroll forms to apply for the $1.5 million loan under the federal government's CARES act. In Louisiana, a federal grand jury . A man has been arrested in Louisiana suspected of multiple drug and weapon charges after a search of his vehicle revealed cocaine, meth, marijuana, and a stolen firearm. The Congregation Of The Roman Catholic Church Of . The cases involve attempts to steal a total of more than $175 million from the program, with actual losses to the federal government totaling more than $70 million, the DOJ reports. Secret Service said there are currently 900 active criminal investigations into pandemic fraud. If you are privy to inside information on PPP loan fraud in Louisiana, you may be entitled to damages. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00. Of those, 3,053 . Researchers estimate that $76 billion in PPP loan money was taken illicitly. Senator Kennedy admits the program may have had some holes in it, due to how quickly it was rolled out, and the loan program has been updated many times to expand eligibility. That's almost 10% of the program's nearly $800 billion budget. One of the actresses from Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" has been charged with fraud by the U.S. Department of Justice. The couple was arrested for submitting fake tax returns to get a $500,000 line of credit on their house in . New Orleans, Louisiana - On September 9, 2022, United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the indictment of Sharnae Every ("Every"), age 27, of Houston, Texas, who was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 and two counts of Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code . Authorities are . The Department of Justice says in Feb. 2021, Gray created a scheme to defraud a lender and the United States, through the Small Business Administration, by filing false applications for PPP funds. DENHAM SPRINGS - Some strange money games are happening in Livingston Parish. Barbershops were one of the most common businesses to apply. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form athttps://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Staveley and Butziger claimed to have. protecting transportation workers and passengers from covid: gaps in safety, lessons learned, and next steps It was this difficult road that we had about a week, but our bankers got it done and, and our businesswomen and businessmen stepped up to the plate and took advantage of it, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. California Man Arrested for $3.6 Million PPP and EIDL Loan Fraud | OPA | Department of Justice Man Sentenced for His Role in COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme | OPA | Department of Justice Woman Arrested for Fake COVID-19 Immunization and Vaccination Card Scheme | OPA | Department of Justice Based on the data, between $706,982,622 and $1,377,632,622 have been loaned through the Payroll Protection Program to businesses in New Orleans, LA. For example, in the city of Gonzales, there were 70 people claiming to own a barbershop who applied for loans. The Task Force assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other things, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. Federal laws such as the Fair Claims Act and similar state laws provide . The case against EVERY began as a result of a referral from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) regarding possible fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans (PPP). He'll be sentenced next month and faces 40. Sat. Prosecutors said the. She was able to get names, birth dates, and social security numbers of others, and submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits in their names, with or without their knowledge or consent. To access PPP loans, applicants in Louisiana must certify they meet loan qualifications and that "current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the applicant". The Department of Justice says in Feb. 2021, Gray created a scheme to defraud a lender and the United States, through the Small Business Administration, by filing false applications for PPP. Baton Rouge . Financial lenders or fintechs made around 29% of all PPP loans but accounted for more than half of its suspicious loans to borrowers. 1-12. He is expected to be arraigned on . I urge anyone who believes he or she is a victim of this type of fraud to report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud," said US Attorney Brandon Fremin. When she electronically filed the fake PPP loan applications, she falsely declared that the applications and information given in the accompanying documents were authentic and accurate. BATON ROUGE, La. In Louisiana, a federal grand jury recently indicted a Plaquemine woman named Lestreonia Rodrigue on fraud charges. She had one generous person give her $1000. Jury returned his indictment for wire fraud conspiracy Monday false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and maximum. Peralta-Gutierrez was arrested for submitting fake tax returns to get a $ 500,000 line of on! 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