Fourteen Texas residents and one Louisiana woman have been indicted for allegedly using falsified documents to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and unemployment insurance benefits, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The final five accused are scheduled to appear before US Magistrate Dena Hanovice Palermo.
On March 4, a federal grand jury returned the 18-count indictment against Ebone Myrriah Mott, a 37-year-old Houston resident, charging her with conspiracy to conduct wire fraud and 17 counts of wire fraud. Mott is accused of forming false firms and misrepresenting records to obtain loans and benefits for herself and co-conspirators, who allegedly paid her roughly $200 up front and 10% of the rewards.
Brittany Garner-Richard, 38, of Humble; Miguel Bell, 39, of Port Arthur; Candace Booker and Andrea King, both 33, of Beaumont; and Joshe Johnson, 34, of Corrigan, are also charged in the indictment. According to the press release, they and others are facing conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
The allegations say that during the loan process, the Small Business Administration used fraudulent applications and manipulated data. If convicted, each defendant could face 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Department of State—Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, and the California Employment Development Department performed the inquiry. Michael Day, Assistant United States Attorney, is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal charge and not proof of guilt; all defendants are assumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
