A Boston woman has been sentenced after pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection to applying for COVID-relief funds under false pretenses. Jameela Gross, 28, received a sentence of time served, which constituted one day, and three years of supervised release, with the addition of an order to pay $18,750 in restitution, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office announcement. Gross had been arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang, facing a range of charges including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges, and financial frauds.
In ordering her sentence, U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young determined that Gross should be held accountable for her actions in the scheme. Her fraudulent PPP loan application for her supposed photography business in April 2021 included inaccurate income statements for 2020 and false tax records, securing her $18,750 in pandemic relief, which she was not entitled to. This case contributes to a larger federal effort to clamp down on the misuse of pandemic-related financial support.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, was designed to provide temporary loans to small businesses struggling due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These loans, with the prospect of being forgiven, sought to prevent layoffs and promote continued operation of small businesses. However, they also presented opportunities for fraudsters looking to capitalize on crisis-relief measures.
The prosecution of this case was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun of the Criminal Division, with an announcement made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. This legal action reflects the ongoing work of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established in May 2021 to combat pandemic-related fraud. The multi-agency task force aims to identify and dismantle criminal operations exploiting federal financial relief programs. Individuals with knowledge of fraud attempts related to COVID-19 can report it through the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline or through the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
As agencies continue to pursue fraudulent actors, public cooperation remains critical to protecting the integrity of relief efforts. The broader mission of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) further supports this goal by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to target high-level criminal organizations that threaten the security of the United States.
