Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Kenneth Tyrone Jackson (59, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to COVID relief. Jackson faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He is also facing a forfeiture order of $19,333, which represents the proceeds he obtained through this offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, during the COVID pandemic, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) offered loans to small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Between March 18 and April 1, 2021, Jackson devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by applying for a PPP loan with false representations. Jackson claimed that he owned a landscaping business that made $99,675 in 2019, which was not true. Jackson also provided the SBA with a fraudulent IRS tax form as proof of this reported income. Based on his false representations, Jackson fraudulently received a $19,333 loan from the SBA.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID can report it by visiting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www. justice. gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.