A Belleville woman, employed with the U.S. National Geospatial Agency, is now facing charges of defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Felicia D. Harris, 44, finds herself indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of interstate transportation of a security obtained by fraud, with the allegations of misusing over $20,000 in federal funds.
The PPP, a relief measure from the U.S. Small Business Administration, was designed to support businesses crippled by the pandemic through forgivable loans. These funds were intended exclusively for operational costs such as payroll and facility expenses. Instead, Harris is accused of channeling $20,614 into personal coffers between February and May 2021. In a twist, she purportedly applied for loan forgiveness with misinformation and was approved, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Illinois.
In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe emphasized that "Individuals who are employed by the federal government yet seek to steal from federally funded programs by using false pretenses and enrich themselves with PPP loan funds will be held accountable."
Highlighting the seriousness of the charge, Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle of the DCIS Southwest Field Office reinforced that accountability and integrity are non-negotiable standards for U.S. Government employees. Harris' case has broader implications as it follows on the heels of three Department of Veterans Affairs federal employees also indicted for PPP loan fraud in Southern Illinois.
Although an indictment is not a conviction and Harris is presumed innocent until proven guilty, a conviction on these charges could carry up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching $250,000. The case is being pushed forward by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service agents, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman at the helm of the prosecution.
