ATLANTA – Twenty-two individuals, residing across the United States, have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and other related charges in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain approximately $3,899,377 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
“These defendants allegedly took advantage of the emergency lending provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program that were intended for business owners suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “The charges reinforce our resolve to hold accountable those who steal pandemic relief funds and use them for their own personal gain.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who misuse IRS information systems in their efforts to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice in this endeavor.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the indictments, and other information presented in court: From April 2020 through August 2020, the conspirators in the scheme allegedly submitted, or assisted in the submission of, PPP loan applications on behalf of twenty-two businesses. In connection with the scheme, defendant Richard Mahee allegedly directed defendant Mark Mason to fabricate documents on behalf of individuals that Mahee identified so they could…
