A group of Michigan residents, consisting of Antonio George, Kevin Womble, Andrae Sims, and Sarah Vidal, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud last month in an alleged attempt to obtain approximately $4.1 million in PPP and EIDL loans. According to a Department of Justice press release, the group applied for the COVID-relief loans by submitting fraudulent documents “on behalf of 16 different companies”.
George, who is a tax preparer by trade and regarded by prosecutors as the ringleader of the scheme, is also being charged with “three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent returns for conduct related to his tax preparation business.” Attorneys with the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case which is not being taken lightly. In fact, Fraud Section attorneys have prosecuted more than 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases since 2020; seizing over $65 million in cash from the illicit profits.
If found guilty in court each defendant could face up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud charges, while George is up against an additional 9 years for the other three counts. If you applied for any COVID-relief loans for your business and want to ensure you are not under risk of investigation, set up a confidential consultation with our team at Padula Law.