If you are privy to inside information on PPP loan fraud in Louisiana, you may be entitled to damages. The $20,000 is now due back to the government, with some possible jail time as well if shes not lucky. 104 Arrests. Age. The FBI and United States Department of Labor are investigating the matter and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Warner. This case was brought in New Orleans, Louisiana. Both received a PPP loan for $20,832. Follow this link for more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic. (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. Heatmap of PPP Loans by Zip Code in New Orleans, LA, Number of Loans Issued by Date in New Orleans, LA, Summary of PPP Loans for all Nearby Cities, Summary of PPP Loans by Zip Code within New Orleans, LA. A total of 73,824 loans were distributed to Louisiana leading to a reported 799,664 jobs being retained. Whether or not you share your childs fascination for reptiles, here are the best toys, books and games to excite any reptile lover. 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. Between 1999 and 2008, when compared to 10 similar states, Louisiana ranked second for the highest number of crimes per 1,000 people. Filing a PPP loan fraud case against your Louisiana employer or another entity in Louisiana is an act of moral courage that can bring flagrant fraud and waste in check. A Louisiana man has been arrested suspected of Aggravated Second Degree Battery in connection with a motor vehicle crash that left a driver with serious injuries. 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. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. 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. According to the Board of Barber Examiners, to legally run a barbershop, an owner must have a business license and a barber license if they are cutting hair even if that business is run out of a home. U.S. Imports and Bills of Lading for Bancroft Bag, Inc. All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations, Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers, Transportation Equipment and Supplies (except Motor Vehicle) Merchant Wholesalers, Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing, Prefabricated Metal Building and Component Manufacturing, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services, Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds, Other Chemical and Fertilizer Mineral Mining, Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation, Hardwood Veneer and Plywood Manufacturing, Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (except Bulk Stations and Terminals), Alumina Refining and Primary Aluminum Production, Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables, Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly, Other Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing, Postlethwaite & Netterville (A Professional Accounting Corporation), Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction, All Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers (except Tobacco Stores), Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing, Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction, Waldemar S. Nelson And Company, Incorporated, Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings, Advanced Corrosion Technologies & Training, LLC, Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers, Commercial and Institutional Building Construction, Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors, Anesthesiology Group Associates, Inc., A Professional Medical Corporation, Arkansas Elder Outreach Of Little Rock, Inc, Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing, Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing, Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload, Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction, Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services, Catholic Charities Archdiocese Of New Orleans, Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Commercial Air, Rail, and Water Transportation Equipment Rental and Leasing, Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers, Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians), Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners, Crescent City Surgical Centre Operating Co, LLC, Research and Development in Nanotechnology, Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors. Fort Miro Foods, Llc. EVERYprepared and submitted false and fraudulent PPP sole proprietor loan applications via various online portals including, but not limited, to Blueacorn. The accident, injury, personal injury, and/or other legal information offered herein by The Onder Law firm, is not formal legal advice, nor is it the formation of an attorney client relationship. The Act originally authorized up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Congress later authorized $321 billion in additional PPP funding. All rights reserved. Federal laws such as the Fair Claims Act and similar state laws provide important protections for persons in Louisiana initiating a PPP loan fraud case. In Louisiana, a federal grand jury recently indicted a Plaquemine woman named Lestreonia Rodrigue on fraud charges. These funds were deposited into her Current account, her Cash App account, or her boyfriends Current account. Acts reported in a PPP loan fraud case in Louisiana may constitute wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and other false claims. The PPP was developed to ease the pain of COVID-19 economic restraints on working Americans. Investigations into Burton's bank account show only $616.52 of her loan was used on hair supplies. EVERY created all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. (BRPROUD) The United States Department of Justice has indicted a 23-year-old woman for mail fraud and wire fraud on Friday, July 22. . Investigators say those accused made false statements about things like how many people they employ, their average monthly revenue, and payroll figures. One was on behalf of a company called Texas Barbecue and the other called Houston Landscaping. They were approved on 04-08-2020 by the SBA for an amount of 460100 USD. Largest Database of Louisiana Mugshots. Speak with Dr. Oberheiden today for a free consultation at 888-680-1745. 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). For more information, visit www.OnderLaw.com or call 1-877-ONDER-LAW. 100 people have been arrested so far. However, industry insiders say the barbershop industry is largely cash-based, making it easy to operate under the radar. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Moderna says RSV vaccine is effective in older adults, Louisiana state income tax filing begins Monday;, Tool can help customers get canceled flight refunds, Authorities seize crypto website Bitzlato, arrest, Livingston Parish Clerk of Court computers hit in, Brion Whitley named SWAC Mens Basketball Player, LSU ranked No. Prosecutors said the. Complaints can also be filed online here. 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. The rest was spent on personal purchases. When an applicant in Louisiana makes false statements to obtain relief funding--from exaggerating the number of employees on payroll to applying for a loan on behalf of a nonexistent company--there may be grounds for a PPP loan fraud case in Louisiana. . 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. Florida man buys $4.9M mansion using funds from PPP loan scheme, Attorney's Office says She was arrested and charged with child neglect with great bodily harm, tampering with a witness and . (Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus). On March 2, 2021 the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas issued a news release reporting the arrest of Ms. Wiggins on bank fraud, making a false statement to a bank, and money laundering. Individuals in Louisiana who initiate PPP loan fraud claims are rewarded handsomely for helping to bring corporate fraud in check. Our firm is committed to providing aggressive legal representation to whistleblowers in Louisiana in order to maximize PPP loan fraud case compensation, while ensuring our clients are protected to the utmost extent of the law during the process. Louisiana crime statistics. She forged a bank statement, false tax documents, and made misrepresentations in her PPP applications. The largest loan paid out was $20,833. OnderLaw, LLC - PPP Loan Fraud Whistleblower
In mid July, Lawson proposed adding applications for the PPP to the scheme, with a $6,000 fee for the $20,000 loan. If youre going to steal money, finite resources from people who need them, then, by God, were going to prosecute you.. Heatmap of PPP Loans by Zip Code in Louisiana, Number of Loans Issued by Date in Louisiana, Summary of PPP Loans by County in Louisiana, Top 25 Cities in Louisiana by Number of PPP Loans. In less than six months, more than 50 people have been charged with allegedly committing fraud in connection with the program. For more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic, please visithttps://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Follow this link to report a typo or other issue. In order for our firm to be considered your attorney there must be a signed agreement between the client and the firm. As a result many are dipping into government funding they dont actually qualify for. 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. 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 . 440 Louisiana St #200, Houston, TX 77002 . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can contact the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint using the NCDF Web Complaint Form by following this link. EVERYcreated all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. We do not charge attorney fees unless you receive compensation and you are under no obligation after your initial consultation. Bank fraud The Department of Justice confirms they are looking into reports of PPP fraud across the nation. A new study looking at which U.S. locations received the most in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program found that Denton businesses received $1,544 in funds per capita. These individuals were allegedly part of a larger group that together have fraudulently obtained approximately $3.0 million in PPP loans. 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. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. He is accused of using the PPP loan to buy "$85,000 in jewelry, including a Rolex Presidential watch, a diamond bracelet, a 5.73-carat diamond ring for himself, and to pay $40,000 for child support," within days of receiving the funds. EVERY primarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. If approved, the SBA pays the lender back using federal funds. 1-15. Warren Easton Charter High School Foundation, Inc. Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books), All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing. My directive to SBA and to the Department of Justice will be to work with our state attorneys general, work with local DHS, work with local sheriffs, and make sure people understand if you steal money, these are these are finite resources, said Kennedy. 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. 23 april 13, 2020: $350k-$1m iberiabank: $150k-$350k loan to louisiana horsemen's benevolent and protective association, 1993 inc Full-Service Restaurants . Filing a PPP loan fraud case is a powerful means for Louisiana citizens to bring tax dollar waste and abuse to light. Robert De Niro-backed Nobu restaurants took more than a dozen PPP loans worth as much as $28 million . Shes accused of making up fake businesses to collect more than $20,000 through a PPP loan and another $500,000 in prepaid debit cards through unemployment claims. In Denton, 97% of the . Based on the data, between $5,589,989,154 and $10,528,439,154 have been loaned through the Payroll Protection Program to businesses in Louisiana. The office identified matched CHA program participants to those who received PPP loans and found 6,280 people (either heads of households or family members) had received them. The Justice Department has brought criminal charges against at least 209 individuals in 119 cases related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud since banks and other lenders began processing loan applications on behalf of the Small Business Administration on April 3, 2020. Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian from LA spent the money on a $3.25-million Mediterranean-style villa, gold coins, diamond . Its pretty bad, some have been able to scam millions out of the government. The DOJ says falsified tax records were submitted and in some cases, stolen personal information was also used in these attempts to defraud the PPP. Sun. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Louisiana state income tax filing begins Monday, Jan. 23, Detectives seek assistance after gunfire damages vehicles in Boutte, UPDATED: I-55, NB and SB, from I-10 Interchange to I-55 Frontage Road near Ponchatoula (Exit 22) St. John and Tangipahoa Parishes Roadwork (tree, Westwego Woman Charged with Theft of Government Funds, Federal Grand Jury Indicts Thibodaux Man for Drug Trafficking Offense. Tax Preparer Charged with Submitting 118 Fraudulent PPP Loan Applications - Also in March 2021, the DOJ filed charges against a South Florida tax preparer who is accused of submitting . They were approved on 04/30/2020 by the SBA for an amount of 454079 USD. The Veterans Administrations Office of Inspector General participates in the PRAC Fraud Task Force. Published 11:13 am Saturday, September 10, 2022. 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