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. Its up to the SBA and the Justice Department to go after anyone caught stealing PPP money. However, during that time period, the rate of crime dropped by 27% - - violent crime decreased by 11% during that time. These individuals were allegedly part of a larger group that together have fraudulently obtained approximately $3.0 million in PPP loans. Louisiana has a total of 217,333 businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration. 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. STAGE 2 SECURITY LLC is a Subchapter S Corporation located at SOUTH JORDAN, UT with 29 employees. 103 Arrests. Police in Illinois arrested 15 people after they. She's 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 . The forgivable loans were meant to cover payroll for employees and, later, other eligible expenses at a time when customers werent coming in. 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. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, Truvada, Risperdal and others. In less than six months, more than 50 people have been charged with allegedly committing fraud in connection with the program. Using that public data, the 9 News Investigators took a close look at PPP loans given out in Louisiana. Copyright 2022 PPP Directory. Contact us today for a confidential, no-cost consultation. 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. (WAFB) - The Paycheck Protection Program, known as PPP, provided a lifeline for millions of business owners when the pandemic was at its worst. Louisiana crime statistics. 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". Please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus for more information on the Departments response to the pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs indefinitely are are struggling to find new sources of income. 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. 66 Arrests. EVERY created all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. Both the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Louisiana Attorney General have encouraged the community to report suspected fraud. BATON ROUGE, La. In Louisiana, a federal grand jury . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Applying for multiple PPP loans across multiple lenders, also called "loan stacking" 3. Whistleblowers in Louisiana may receive up to 30% of this sum in compensation, along with numerous other protections. 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. A San Fernando Valley, California, man has been indicted for committing Payment Protection Program fraud amounting to $1.7 million, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. 73 Arrests. 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. Who in Louisiana got Paycheck Protection Program loans during the pandemic? The line is staffed 24/7. Lenders approved that amount for eight people, seven of whom got checks. 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. PPP Loan Fraud Information for Your City: PPP Loan Fraud Information for Your State: Who Can File a PPP Loan Fraud Case in Louisiana. EVERYprimarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. 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. 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. 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. A former Pizzeria owner was arrested yesterday for committing after securing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds worth $660,000. Original content is 2023 Calcasieu.info & BKHagar, LLC. 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. 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. If convicted,EVERYfaces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years, followed by a term of supervised release for up to three (3) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, or twice the gross gain to the defendant, or twice the gross loss to any victim, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee, per count. I dont know why it is that that some people take advantage of a program like this in a time of crisis. (Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus). Jan 18, 2023 | Louisiana State News, News, Traffic. 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). If youre going to steal money, finite resources from people who need them, then, by God, were going to prosecute you.. Stay up to date with the latest news by downloading the BRProud App from the App Store or Google Play. 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. (PPP) loan funds worth $660,000. Its pretty bad, some have been able to scam millions out of the government. Every one of the phony and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs was fabricated by them. Follow this link for more information on the Department of Justices response to the pandemic. To apply for the forgivable loan, an applicant simply had to submit an application to their bank along with evidence of payroll for the last year which generally included tax returns, payroll returns, and corporate documents. Copyright 2022 PPP Directory. 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. Nearly 11.5 million people filed applications, resulting in more than $792 billion worth of loans. They were approved on 04/30/2020 by the SBA for an amount of 454079 USD. Fri. 1-13. All rights reserved. The Veterans Administrations Office of Inspector General participates in the PRAC Fraud Task Force. You have to understand from the lenders perspective, really, theyre just looking at income. Together, more than 5.5 million PPP loans were approved totaling more than $557.8 billion. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); All suspects are innocent until proven guilty. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. 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 Volunteers Of America Southeast Louisiana, Inc. Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses). Using awarded PPP funds for unapproved purposes PPP Fraud Criminal Charges There are 4 common criminal charges for someone accused of PPP loan fraud. Search Paycheck Protection Program Loan (PPP Loan) list with amount, business name, address, business type and Lender information in Louisiana. EVERYadvertised under various aliases on Facebook to recruit individuals to obtain money from the PPP program. Past results afford no guarantee of future results. . The line is staffed 24/7. 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. . 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. Prosecutors said the. Acts reported in a PPP loan fraud case in Louisiana may constitute wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and other false claims. He received $2.1 million in PPP money. Baton Rouge . (BRPROUD) The United States Department of Justice has indicted a 23-year-old woman for mail fraud and wire fraud on Friday, July 22. Gray also submitted claims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) benefits in the names of false businesses and based on false business profits and losses. 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. Per the False Claims Act, the government is entitled to threefold damages in each successful PPP loan fraud case. The PPP was developed to ease the pain of COVID-19 economic restraints on working Americans. If approved, the SBA pays the lender back using federal funds. Follow this link to report a typo or other issue. To get the initial payments, Every primarilyusedCash App. Sat. The FBI and United States Department of Labor are investigating the matter and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Warner. 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. 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 owner of this website may receive compensation for those links, ads, promotions, and other types of links. Some pages on this website may contain affiliate links, ads, promotions, or other types of links to other websites, businesses, or products. 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. (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. The Small Business Administration has released a list of businesses that have received emergency pandemic loans.. Los Angeles Man Arrested for $27 Million PPP Fraud Scheme A California man was arrested today in Los Angeles on criminal charges related to his alleged bank fraud, false statements in a loan application and money laundering arising from the submission of fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. Fintech lenders had the highest rate of suspicious PPP loans. Investigators say those accused made false statements about things like how many people they employ, their average monthly revenue, and payroll figures. Barbershops were one of the most common businesses to apply. The rest was spent on personal purchases. Investigators say those accused made false statements about things like how many people they employ, their average monthly revenue, and payroll figures. 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. 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. 1-15. She had one generous person give her $1000. 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