A Charlotte family has been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly obtaining over $124,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds through fraudulent means. As detailed by an announcement from U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina, 53-year-old Tiawana Brown and her daughters, Tijema Brown, 30, and Antionette Rouse, 33, face accusations of scheming to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The indictment asserts that, between April 2020 and September 2021, the defendants submitted at least 15 applications containing false information or documentation, including fake tax forms, which led to the illicit gain of at least $124,165. Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, James C. Barnacle, Jr., affirmed his agency's involvement, lending credence to the charges being pursued.
Funds intended for pandemic relief were reportedly used for personal expenses, such as the alleged $15,000 birthday bash for Tiawana Brown. If found guilty of the charges, the trio could be staring down the barrel of a maximum of 20 years in prison for each offense. However, it's important to note that accused individuals remain shrouded in the presumption of innocence, until, if ever they are proven guilty in the eyes of the law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has been proactive since the commencement of the CARES Act, prosecuting 35 individuals and reclaiming substantial amounts from fraudsters. Their efforts combine "criminal and civil forfeiture, criminal restitution, and civil False Claims Act cases," according to their records. To date, they have collected over $5.5 million in assets in the COVID fraud cases. Furthermore, they encourage the public to report suspected pandemic-related fraud to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud.
This case continues to underline the ongoing challenge of pandemic relief fraud and the government's commitment to bringing perpetrators to justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren is spearheading the prosecution for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
