A Jacksonville woman has entered a guilty plea on multiple charges connected to a credit scheme and fraudulent claims made under the COVID relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Carnisha Maurica Rogers, 30, from Jacksonville, admitted to her role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, falsely representing a Social Security number to secure lines of credit, and wire fraud relating to PPP loans, as outlined in a recent release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Documents from the court detail that Rogers and her accomplices fraudulently acquired Social Security numbers between November 2017 and September 2019 leveraging them to open lines of credit and purchase goods, including jewelry, which were then sold on social platforms. In May 2021, Rogers continued her fraudulent activity by filing a PPP loan application, embellishing her business's gross income and expenses, despite having no such business. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, these actions led to Rogers receiving and later having $20,832 in PPP loans forgiven based on misleading claims.
Another Jacksonville resident associated with this case, Crystal Denean Harvell, 37, has been sentenced to a two-year federal prison term this past March for her involvement in the wire fraud scheme and PPP loan fraud, as reported by the same source. Harvell is also required to repay $131,782.63, reflecting the losses following her illicit activities to the victims and the U.S. government, alongside her sentence.
The investigative efforts leading to the detection and prosecution of these crimes were the combined work of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. Assistance U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein is responsible for prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington is handling the asset forfeiture. These cases manifest the success of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established in 2021 to amplify the fight against fraud related to the pandemic.
