A Chicago Police Department sergeant is facing a federal wire fraud charge after prosecutors say she pulled in more than $40,000 in pandemic relief cash for a bakery that never existed.
Brandi Wright, 44, is accused of filing bogus Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in 2021 that listed a retail bakery as the business. If she is convicted, the federal charge comes with serious prison time.
What prosecutors allege
According to criminal information filed Monday, prosecutors say Wright submitted two false PPP applications in 2021, claiming the bakery had earned $99,989 in gross income the previous year and needed help covering payroll. Those filings allegedly brought in $41,662 in PPP money that, instead of going to workers, prosecutors say Wright planned to spend on herself, including paying off credit card debt, personal purchases, and cash withdrawals. Her arraignment had not yet been scheduled at the time of reporting, according to WTTW.
Watchdog had flagged similar CPD cases
The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General has already been tracking a wave of PPP problems involving city workers. In its fourth-quarter 2025 report, the watchdog said it had sustained several cases in which CPD members fraudulently obtained PPP loans and recommended their separation from the department. The office also noted that city departments have repeatedly agreed to terminate employees when PPP fraud findings were sustained, and that numerous other investigations remain open, according to the Chicago Office of Inspector General.
Department response
A CPD spokesperson said Wright "is currently assigned to unit 620" and referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The department did not immediately offer additional comment to outlets covering the case, according to WTTW.
Federal crackdown on PPP fraud
Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois have been steadily working through a lineup of COVID relief fraud cases in recent years, including indictments alleging that defendants pulled in millions through false PPP and EIDL applications. Those prosecutions, highlighted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, show that pandemic-era loan scams remain a top enforcement priority.
Legal exposure
Wright is charged with wire fraud under federal law, a statute that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The penalty is set out in 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and PPP fraud convictions frequently come with restitution orders and fines on top of any prison term.
