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In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act provided $28.6 billion to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. In November, 2022, SBA announced that it was distributing $83 million in unobligated RRF money to 169 restaurant operators who had pending RRF applications.

Robert A. Westbrooks, Executive Director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), announced a new way to view data on PandemicOversight.gov.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that more than fifty people have been criminally charged with fraudulently obtaining loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

NEWARK N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman was arrested on charges that she fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and unemployment insurance benefits totaling $694,212.

NEWARK N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for defrauding several financial institutions and illegally obtaining more than $2 million in COVID-19 funding meant to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TRACIE L. MIXON, age 42, of Hammond, LA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to a bill of information for making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

SAN DIEGO – Thomas Zolezzi of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he committed fraud to obtain almost $3 million intended to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his plea agreement, Zolezzi admitted he submitted five loan applications containing false statements to trick lenders into providing the relief funds. He used the borrowed funds to pay his personal expenses. As part of his guilty plea, Zolezzi agreed to pay restitution of $700,884.75 to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and $2,238,910.24 to Capital Plus Financial.

NEWARK, N.J. – An owner of several New Jersey businesses was charged with fraudulently obtaining over $3.2 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Lori Hammond, a/k/a Lori McCracken, a/k/a Lori Blakely, 54, of Summerville, Christopher Conrad, 41, of Holly Hill, Catherine “Cassie” Needham, 38, of Manning, and Jontrell Wright, 37, of Orangeburg, were sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud for submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and misusing the funds.

Jackson, Miss. – A Texas man pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in COVID-19 economic assistance loans.