A former federal investigator has been snagged in a net of deceit, accused of pocketing thousands in pandemic relief funds. Tiesha Johnson, who used to work for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, is to stand trial for allegedly conning the government out of $34,000 in loans intended to support businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, as per statements released by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and covered by The Detroit News.
Johnson, 56, opted to quickly waive her right to a preliminary examination earlier this week and will now directly face trial in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County. She had been originally arrested in Dallas after Michigan's attorney general's office issued warrants for her arrest, noted by the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Her residence was previously in Farmington Hills but she was extradited to Michigan to be held accountable for her actions.
The charges are serious, laying out how Johnson supposedly managed to defraud distinct COVID-19 relief programs. She's accused of fraudulently obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The loans, intended to cover payroll and keep businesses open during the health emergency, were instead allegedly pocketed by someone meant to be upholding the law. Each count of pretense she faces slaps her with the possibility of up to five years in prison, a fact echoed by Attorney General Nessel who expressed that such betrayal in a global crisis would not be tolerated.
"These federal loan programs were meant to keep businesses afloat amid the international pandemic," said Nessel, intoning a sense of grave dismay at the alleged betrayal. She amplified her condemnation by saying, "Defrauding your country, your neighbors, and your fellow Americans during a time of global crisis for your own financial gain cannot be tolerated." Her words, intended to firmly underline the detriment caused by such fraud, were shared with the public last December when charges were initially announced against Johnson. The State of Michigan had purportedly witnessed millions of dollars being pilfered from these programs, according to her statement retrieved by the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
As for what lies ahead, Johnson is set to appear before Judge Michael Warren on May 8th. Neither her attorney could be immediately reached for comment, nor have they released any statement countering the allegations. This trial will unfold as just one chapter in what seems to be an ongoing saga of fraudulent claims that have plagued relief efforts intended to buffer the financial impact of the pandemic on America's backbone businesses.
