Charlotte Family Charged with Wire Fraud Over $124K in COVID Relief Fund Scheme; City Councilmember, Daughters Indicted for Scheme to Obtain $124K in COVID Relief Funds, and other C-Virus related stories
Charlotte Family Charged with Wire Fraud Over $124K in COVID Relief Fund Scheme:
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. —>READ MORE HERE
City councilmember, daughters indicted for scheme to obtain $124K in COVID relief funds:
A federal grand jury has indicted Democratic Charlotte City Councilmember Tiawana Brown, 53, and her two daughters, accusing them of fraudulently obtaining more than $124,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, including spending approximately $15,000 on a birthday party for the councilwoman, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, on Thursday morning.
Tiawana Brown, Tijema Brown, 30, and Antionette Rouse, 33, all of Charlotte, are accused of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with fraudulent applications filed to falsely obtain COVID pandemic relief funds, Ferguson said.
Brown represents District 3 and was elected to Charlotte City Council in 2023. She made history by being the first formerly incarcerated person to be elected to Charlotte City Council. She served four years in prison on federal fraud charges.
The allegations
Between April 2020 and September 2021, the defendants conspired to execute a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and obtain COVID pandemic relief funds for their businesses, through the submission of loan applications that contained false information or false documentation.
The false documentation allegedly generally included fake tax forms and other misrepresentations. The defendants are also accused of submitting false statements to obtain forgiveness of the PPP loans. In total, the defendants allegedly submitted at least 15 applications for EIDL or PPP funds and falsely obtained at least $124,165 in connection with their scheme to defraud, Ferguson stated. —>READ MORE HERE
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