The Department of Justice confirms they are looking into reports of PPP fraud across the nation. In February 2021, the New York Court of Appeals issued a long-awaited decision in Freedom Mortgage v.Engel, 37 N.Y.3d 1 (2021), which, among other things, held that the voluntary discontinuance of a foreclosure action constitutes an affirmative revocation of acceleration because such "discontinuance withdraws the complaint and, when the complaint is the only expression of demand for immediate . Gray had peoples identifying information through social media and used that to file numerous claims. The Onder Law Firm is a National Law Firm based in St. Louis, Missouri representing clients throughout the United States in national federal MDL products liability litigation. Speak with Dr. Oberheiden today for a free consultation at 888-680-1745. The program worked like this. So now, he says agencies must go after anyone who might be taking money theyre not entitled to. These individuals were allegedly part of a larger group that together have fraudulently obtained approximately $3.0 million in PPP loans. In Louisiana, a federal grand jury recently indicted a Plaquemine woman named Lestreonia Rodrigue on fraud charges. However, both Kennedy and Ricks say the good the program did far outweigh any possible fraud. The pandemic has forced the government to create different programs to help benefit those impacted most. Joliet Police Department Detective James Kilgore said that police didn't find business licenses matching the addresses used on the PPP loans. For example, if the fraud committed amounted to $2.5 million, the government may recover $7.5 million in damages and the whistleblower may personally recover over $2 million. 104 Arrests. If you are privy to information proving an individual or company obtained Paycheck Protection Program funds illegally in Louisiana, filing a Louisiana PPP loan fraud case is the most effective means to pursue justice while receiving protections for yourself and your family. Of more than the 2,200,000 total crimes committed between . Loan Amount: $1-2 million: Business Address: 478 S. JOHNSTON STREET, 6TH DLOOR: Jobs Retained: 202: City, State Zip: NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112: Date Approved: 2020-04-28: Business Type: Corporation: NAICS Code: 621112: Race or Ethnicity: Unanswered: NAICS Description: Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists: Gender: Male Owned: NAICS Category: Health Care and Social Assistance: Veteran 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. One of the actresses from Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" has been charged with fraud by the U.S. Department of Justice. (WAFB) - Since the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) launched to help businesses pay their employees to prevent great losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some people have of course tried to exploit the program and defraud the federal government of money. . From Gorilla Glue Girl to the social media model trying to get home from All Star Weekend. 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. Per the False Claims Act, the government is entitled to threefold damages in each successful PPP loan fraud case. According to the indictment, Tynea Gray of Donaldsonville and Prairieville between June 2020 and Oct. 2021, Gray submitted unemployment claims in California in her name and in the names of others. Louisiana has a total of 217,333 businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration. One was on behalf of a company called Texas Barbecue and the other called Houston Landscaping. EVERY charged $45.00 to $120.00 from the individuals she recruited to prepare and submit the fraudulent PPP application. BATON ROUGE, La. BATON ROUGE, La. EVERY primarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. Both received a PPP loan for $20,832. They were approved on 04/30/2020 by the SBA for an amount of 454079 USD. The PPP was developed to ease the pain of COVID-19 economic restraints on working Americans. EVERYreceived these funds into her Current account, her Cash App account, or into her boyfriends Current account. Nearly 11.5 million people filed applications, resulting in more than $792 billion worth of loans. Whistleblower protections are in place to ensure Louisiana residents who are privy to PPP loan fraud and abuse can file a report without fear of retribution. Yesterday she commented Keep the donations coming yall my kids need me out here frfr. Researchers estimate that $76 billion in PPP loan money was taken illicitly. 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. Individuals in Louisiana who initiate PPP loan fraud claims are rewarded handsomely for helping to bring corporate fraud in check. Once the loans were funded, Everycharged about $3,500.00. Investigators determined there were at least 110 PPP sole proprietor loan applications in and around the Thibodeaux, Louisiana area and they all had the same invoices and federal tax forms (Schedule C) with the same business name and amounts. 650 Poydras Street, Suite 1600 - New Orleans, LA 70130, Download 2_ecf_doc_1_-_sharnae_every_indictment_redacted_sanitized.pdf. Theyre not checking licenses. 1-14. 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 The tool below can be used to search all publicly released PPP recipients in LA. Some content may be sourced from press releases or public information/records. The Onder Law Firm is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Gray submitted a false PPP application for the business under the name Royaldiamondzkollection LLC seeking funds from PPP. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. Arrest Log: Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 Coweta EMA coordinator earns certification Annual MLK celebration and parade Jan. 6-7 . The case againstEVERYbegan as a result of a referral from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) regarding possible fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans (PPP). Staveley and Butziger claimed to have. Those who suspect PPP fraud or may have been a victim of such fraud should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline at 866-720-5721. All rights reserved. Director for the Louisiana SBA District Office Michael Ricks said while that information may raise some red flags on the surface, he explained that not complying with an industrys licensing requirements does not necessarily disqualify someone from being eligible for a PPP loan. According to the SBA, lenders are responsible for vetting applications and making sure the applicant is telling the truth in whatever way they see fit. If youre going to steal money, finite resources from people who need them, then, by God, were going to prosecute you.. 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. Both the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Louisiana Attorney General have encouraged the community to report suspected fraud. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation, Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly, Waldemar S. Nelson And Company, Incorporated, Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services, Catholic Charities Archdiocese Of New Orleans, Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors, Galloway, Johnson, Thompkins, Burr, Smith, Aplc, Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors, Roofing, Siding, and Insulation Material Merchant Wholesalers. Its up to the SBA and the Justice Department to go after anyone caught stealing PPP money. Every single one of them produced and filed bogus and fraudulent PPP sole proprietor loan applications through numerous online portals, including but not limited to Blueacorn. All rights reserved. If the borrower can prove they used the money to pay employees and eligible expenses, they can ask the SBA for loan forgiveness. This case was brought in New Orleans, Louisiana. EVERY advertised under various aliases on Facebook to recruit individuals to obtain money from the PPP program. For more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Three women, who were employees of U.S. 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. January 17, 2023 - Ginpahayag ni City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III nga nagsumiter ang SM Prime Holdings Inc. sang proposal para Public Private Partnership ukon PPP sa pagpaaayo sang Manokan Country. PPP-Loan.info States / Location . The United States Attorneys Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Veterans Administration, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the United States Secret Services Cyber Fraud Task Force, consisting of the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office, Thibodeaux Police Department, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation with this matter. However, a check of public records for business licenses with the Secretary of State office revealed no active business licenses for those eight individuals. Louisiana crime statistics. Using awarded PPP funds for unapproved purposes PPP Fraud Criminal Charges There are 4 common criminal charges for someone accused of PPP loan fraud. The loan was facilitated by Cache Valley Bank, LOGAN, UT. Lakeisha Golden is currently asking for donations on GoFundMe to help pay back a paycheck protection program Loan (Or PPP Loan) that she took out to provide for her family. Largest Database of Louisiana Mugshots. The rest was spent on personal purchases. PPP loans were also approved for a number of schools in New Orleans, including Dillard University, which got between $2 million and $5 million to retain 491 employees. Warren Easton Charter High School Foundation, Inc. Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books), All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing. Investigators say those accused made false statements about things like how many people they employ, their average monthly revenue, and payroll figures. The SBA has very broad rules, very, very large leeway on what the lender had to request from the bar to get that guarantee secure, said the SBA Louisiana District Director Michael Ricks. For more information, visit www.OnderLaw.com or call 1-877-ONDER-LAW. PPP loan information is available to the public through the SBA, and several groups have even published that information in the form of online searchable databases that anyone can use. In mid July, Lawson proposed adding applications for the PPP to the scheme, with a $6,000 fee for the $20,000 loan. This directory is composed. The Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17, 2021, to marshal the Department of Justices resources in collaboration with agencies across government to strengthen efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. 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. All Data Obtained From the SBA. Who in Louisiana got Paycheck Protection Program loans during the pandemic? 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. 100 people have been arrested so far. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses., At time of Lakeisha has managed to raise $3500 back. Every advertised on Facebook using numerous aliases in order to recruit others to participate in the PPP scheme. 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 . NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANAUnited States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today the indictment ofSHARNAE 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 Code, Section 1341. For one woman this could potential result in jail time. Advocates For Science And Mathematics Education, Inc. All Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation, Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing, Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. And these cases are just the beginning. Each loan paid out was guaranteed using taxpayer money. The Justice Department has charged 57 people, including "coordinated criminal rings," who tried to steal more than $157 million from the Paycheck Protection Program. 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