A Raleigh basketball scout previously admired for his work with aspiring athletes has pleaded guilty to federal charges of bank and wire fraud. Earl Lamont Taylor was convicted for his role in a scheme that siphoned nearly $300,000 from the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a relief effort meant for businesses struggling amidst the pandemic, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
"Lamont Taylor ran a business scouting players who hustled on the court, but ran his own hustle off the court, fraudulently securing over $300,000 in PPP relief funds," stated U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. The fraud was part of a much larger, multimillion-dollar racket that has seen more than 30 defendants pleading guilty so far, and 26 sentenced. Taylor's two businesses, Get Me Recruited, LLC, and Changing the Game Life Coach, reportedly benefited from the PPP loans through false information submitted during the application process, as per the United States Attorney's Office.
During the trial, it became evident that while Get Me Recruited had legitimate business dealings in 2019 and 2020, the employees acknowledged that they never earned more than $2,000 a year, contrasting sharply with the six-figure salaries Taylor claimed in the loan applications. On the other hand, Changing the Game Life Coach showed no substantial business activity, and its bank account was purportedly used solely for receiving the fraudulent loan funds.
Taylor now faces a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for his actions. Other defendants in the broader "Loanstarters" PPP scheme, including Albert Eugene Miller, Jr., Jonathan Fleming, and Nekita Hooks, have already been sentenced. Defendants such as Quentin Jackson and Edward Whitaker, with whom Taylor coordinated to acquire the ill-gotten funds, are awaiting their sentences. The full list of convicted individuals involved in the fraudulent scheme can be found on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina's website or by searching PACER for specific case numbers related to the investigation led by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.
The CARES Act, from which the Paycheck Protection Program derived, was put into place to provide financial reprieve to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Unfortunately, cases like Taylor's exploit the generosity of these relief programs meant to sustain small businesses during one of the most challenging periods in recent memory. "The Paycheck Protection Program was meant to aid those affected the most during the pandemic," Special Agent in Charge Donald "Trey" Eakins of the IRS Criminal Investigation's Charlotte Field Office said. This case underscores the government's commitment to pursuing and prosecuting those individuals who prioritize personal gain over public good.
