A Louisiana woman has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty for her alleged role in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program funds, according to a statement released on Mar. 24 by federal authorities.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address fraud related to pandemic relief programs, which were established to support businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
Lisa Lemoine, 38, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the charging document, Lemoine allegedly worked with Sniders Jean-Jacques, Lorne Johnson, Tanya Pierre, Ashley Spike and others to submit fraudulent PPP applications for borrowers who were not eligible for these loans. The group is accused of creating fake tax forms and collecting up to 30 percent of loan proceeds as fees from the fraudulent applicants. Borrowers who received PPP funds based on these applications reportedly paid kickbacks equal to about 30 percent of their loan amounts.
Jean-Jacques, Johnson, Pierre and Spike have been charged separately with conspiracy related to this scheme. The charge against Lemoine carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison along with supervised release and fines that could reach $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges along with officials from Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office; Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General Eastern Region; and U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice created the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 as part of its response against pandemic-related fraud schemes targeting government relief programs such as PPP loans. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Authorities remind that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
