Federal law enforcement officials have announced four indictments Monday for residents in Kansas as part of a nationwide anti-fraud effort.
In a news statement, Danielle Thomas of the Department of Justice (DOJ) stated that the four indictments were issued on September 14 as part of a countrywide enforcement campaign by the United States Attorney’s Office—District of Kansas. She said four Kansas individuals face hefty jail sentences if convicted of Paycheck Protection Program-related (PPP) fraud.
Thomas stated that from June to September of this year, federal prosecutors supported fraud enforcement actions in more than 160 cases. The total amount lost to taxpayers from these alleged fraud cases nationwide is $245 million.
“Over the years, we have convicted schemers who illegally secured PPP loans and then went on shopping sprees on the federal government’s dime, but we’re not done,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The Justice Department has a long memory, and the statute of limitations has been extended to cover this form of fraud. “Those who lied on their applications and have not yet faced consequences should not be surprised when we arrive with an arrest warrant.”
Kriegshauser said four people in Kansas, including a husband and wife, have been charged with PPP-related fraud resulting in claimed losses of more than $190,000. If found guilty, each of the Kansas defendants faces up to 20 years in jail.
- 74-year-old from Wakarusa – accused of providing false Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documents for a PPP loan for a small business then allegedly using the loans for inadmissible purposes.
Loss – $29,000
- 66-year-old from Wakarusa – accused of applying for and getting PPP loans for a small business while using false IRS forms.
Loss – $115,000
- 25-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas – accused of getting a PPP loan for a home-based business after allegedly filing an application with false details about the number of employees and payroll.
Loss – $18,000
- 35-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas – accused of getting a PPP by falsely claiming to be a sole proprietor business with $100,000 in proceeds and allegedly sending false bank statements to get loans and to receive loan forgiveness.
Loss – $29,000
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