Its up to the SBA and the Justice Department to go after anyone caught stealing PPP money. The tool below can be used to search all publicly released PPP recipients in LA. The PPP was developed to ease the pain of COVID-19 economic restraints on working Americans. He is expected to be arraigned on . Constantly updated. 73 Arrests. OnderLaw, LLC - PPP Loan Fraud Whistleblower (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); All suspects are innocent until proven guilty. EVERY primarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. Sen. John Kennedy says in the rush to get help to people in need as quickly as possible, Congress didnt have time to build many safeguards against fraud into the program. You have to understand from the lenders perspective, really, theyre just looking at income. 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. 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. According to the United States Department of Justice official website, Six individuals were charged in an indictment with fraudulently obtaining approximately $1.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of five businesses based in Georgia and South Carolina. The loan was facilitated by Cache Valley Bank, LOGAN, UT. Secret Service said there are currently 900 active criminal investigations into pandemic fraud. 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. STAGE 2 SECURITY LLC is a Subchapter S Corporation located at SOUTH JORDAN, UT with 29 employees. Nearly 11.5 million people filed applications, resulting in more than $792 billion worth of loans. 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. 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. We provide free no-obligation PPP loan fraud case review for Louisiana residents. "Such payments are not authorized use of PPP funds under the CARES Act," the statement said. However, both Kennedy and Ricks say the good the program did far outweigh any possible fraud. Fri. 1-13. Speak with Dr. Oberheiden today for a free consultation at 888-680-1745. (PPP) loan funds worth $660,000. 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". 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. Follow this link for more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic. The US Attorneys Office would also like to thank the Veterans Administrations Office of the Inspector General; the US Department of Labors Office of the Inspector General; the US Department of Homeland Securitys Homeland Security Investigations; and the US Secret Services Cyber Fraud Task Force, which included the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office, and the Thibodeaux Police Department. Another woman is currently seeking help on GoFundMe for the same reason. 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. Copyright 2020 WAFB. . However, a check of public records for business licenses with the Secretary of State office revealed no active business licenses for those eight individuals. Bank fraud The program worked like this. For more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic, please visithttps://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341, Follow this link for more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic, Louisiana Man Dies in Single-Vessel Boating Incident in Lake Pontchartrain, LDWF Investigating Cause, 38-Year-Old Louisiana Man Arrested Suspected of Possession of Drugs, Stolen Firearm, and Other Crimes, Louisiana Man Arrested Suspected of Swerving and Causing a Crash that Seriously Injured Another Person, Content, DMCA Claims and other Copyright Requests. Gray also submitted claims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) benefits in the names of false businesses and based on false business profits and losses. Sat. 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, Section 1341. Dr. Nick Oberheiden is a nationally recognized expert on PPP loan laws. According to todays indictment, EVERY created 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. 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, 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. 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. The rest was spent on personal purchases. These individuals were allegedly part of a larger group that together have fraudulently obtained approximately $3.0 million in PPP loans. 1 in D1 baseball preseason poll, Five LSU Tigers listed in D1Softball, Extra Inning, #13 LSU Gymnastics falls to top-ranked Sooners in, Alabama basketball player, 2nd man charged with murder, Top items you will want on hand if your area floods, If your kid is fascinated with reptiles, then theyre, Louisiana state income tax filing begins Monday, Crypto website Bitzlato seized, founder arrested, Fisherman lost at sea after hooking huge tuna, Two sent to hospital after house fire in Baton Rouge, Trump trounces DeSantis in mock primary match-up:, Baton Rouge boutiques selling Mardi Gras shirts,, Baton Rouge teen arrested after student shot while, One dead after late night shooting in Ascension Parish, State Rep. 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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. They were approved on 04/30/2020 by the SBA for an amount of 454079 USD. Its pretty bad, some have been able to scam millions out of the government. DENHAM SPRINGS - Some strange money games are happening in Livingston Parish. Investigators say those accused made false statements about things like how many people they employ, their average monthly revenue, and payroll figures. 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. 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. For a free, confidential and no-obligation consultation please fill out our short online contact form and one of our whistleblower attorneys for PPP loan fraud claims from Louisiana will contact you to answer any of your questions in a confidential consultation. EVERYcreated all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. 23 april 13, 2020: $350k-$1m iberiabank: $150k-$350k loan to louisiana horsemen's benevolent and protective association, 1993 inc Former Louisiana Resident Indicted for Preparing Over 110 Fraudulent PPP Loan Applications Totaling Over $1.1 Million Dollars. The Cryptocurrency Investor (Texas - July 14) Joshua Thomas Argires of Houston was arrested on various fraud charges. And these cases are just the beginning. The Small Business Administration has released a list of businesses that have received emergency pandemic loans.. This case was brought in New Orleans, Louisiana. . Federal investigators want you to speak up about PPP fraud, Federal investigators want you to speak up about PPP Fraud, Garret Graves says hes unsure about run for governor, Teen shot while walking to school (Full News Conference). Sun. Nearly a dozen of those people took out two loans. "The PPP was developed to ease the pain of COVID-19 economic restraints on working Americans. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. Other Locations. Making false statements on your PPP application 2. PPP Detective All Loans (current) Loans By States; About Site; PPP Loans in Monroe, LA - Page 3. 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. EVERY falsely certified that the applications and the information provided in the supporting documents were true and accurate when she electronically submitted the fraudulent PPP loan applications. 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