Source: US FBI
ATLANTA – Salimot Akande, Garey Henderson, and Jacqueline Rollizo were arraigned today on federal fraud and money laundering charges after they allegedly defrauded COVID-19 pandemic relief programs on multiple occasions and then laundered nearly $2 million in proceeds.
“The federal government created programs to provide critical relief to small businesses and support our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Unfortunately, unscrupulous fraudsters exploited these programs for personal gain, stealing from taxpayers and legitimate business owners who desperately needed help. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who broke the law to enrich themselves.”
“Stealing from pandemic relief programs is a betrayal of the public trust and a direct attack on the businesses that truly needed help during a time of crisis,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit these programs for personal gain.”
“These defendants are accused of stealing from programs meant to keep small businesses afloat during a national emergency,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Their alleged fraud not only siphoned off vital resources from those in real need but also undermined public trust. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure that those who exploit national crises for personal profit are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Salimot Akande, 41, of Atlanta, Ga., Garey Henderson, 45, of Marietta, Ga., and Jacqueline Rollizo, 52, of Woodstock, Ga., allegedly obtained approximately $1.6 million of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for seven businesses associated with Akande, Henderson, and others. To obtain the loans, the defendants submitted fabricated tax filings and loan applications containing false information.
Akande and Henderson also allegedly obtained fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) for their businesses. Akande’s business received a $48,900 EIDL loan, and Henderson’s two businesses received $299,800.
The indictment alleges that, after receiving the loan proceeds, Akande, Henderson, and Rollizo moved the funds through multiple bank accounts to conceal the true source and control of the money.
The 38-count indictment charges the defendants with bank fraud, wire fraud, bank and wire fraud conspiracy, concealment and transactional money laundering, and money laundering conspiracy.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove each defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Klapman is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.