A 36-year-old Gibsland woman was sentenced in federal prison for wire fraud involving the CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program.
Shaquaila Lewis, aka Shaquaila Lewis-Chatman, was sentenced on one count of wire fraud to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Acting US Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said in March 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the CARES Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provided Emergency Injury Disaster Loans
(EIDL), which were low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The CARES Act also provided authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Lewis devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and various financial institutions by falsifying fraudulent loan applications. At the sentencing hearing, the court found that Lewis was responsible for more than $1.1 million in loss as a result of multiple fraudulent loans involving her and others.
As an example, in February 2021, Lewis electronically submitted a false and fraudulent PPP application to Square Capital in the name of Perfect Memories Travel, seeking approximately $20,833 in PPP funds. Lewis signed the application and falsely certified that the application and all information provided was true and
accurate.
Lewis falsely certified that the funds would be used “to retain workers and maintain payroll.”
She also falsely certified that she had used the full loan amount from a prior PPP application submitted on behalf of Perfect Memories Travel only for eligible expenses. A few days later, Square Capital disbursed approximately $20,583 in loan benefits to a bank account held by Lewis, and she used those funds for personal expenses.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Department of Justice Criminal Division – Fraud Section.