Three Polk County residents face decades in federal prison for their alleged involvement in a scheme to steal over $2 million in COVID relief funds.
Jessie Perlado, 63, and Tameshia Roberson, 44, were among eleven people charged on Friday with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. According to the US Department of Justice, if convicted, each of the 11 people charged may face up to 20 years in prison per count. According to officials, Perlado and Roberson are from Lakeland and Winter Haven, respectively.
According to the Justice Department, the government will seek a forfeiture order for $2.29 million, which was obtained through fraudulent means.
The indictment also names Sherell Breus, 40, of Champions Gate; Candice Harper, 37, of Pooler, Georgia; Yashica Carter, 40, of Fort Lauderdale; Brandon Thomas, 39, of Champions Gate; Antwaun Jonson, 39, of Delray Beach; Jessica Sejour, 33, of Greenacres; Vance Houston, 30, of Oakland Park; and Raymound Carvil Sr., 61, of Fort Lauderdale.
The third Polk resident, Neil Bryant, 45, of Winter Haven, was charged with one count of wire fraud. In announcing the allegations, the Department of Justice referred to him as “an associate of one of the conspirators.”
According to the Justice Department, this is what happened:
Between April 2020 and June 2021, individuals charged are charged with submitting several fake Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program applications to the Small Business Administration.
The SBA lending programs were part of a relief package established during the epidemic to assist small businesses in surviving the shutdown and the immediate aftermath.
The Justice Department claims that all of the applications included bogus paperwork, such as false IRS tax forms.
Once the money arrived, those charged transferred it to other accounts belonging to the alleged co-conspirators.
A second indictment accuses Bryant of deceiving the SBA by submitting a fraudulent EIDL application. He risks 20 years in jail if convicted, and the government is seeking a $52,400 forfeiture order.
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI examined the cases. Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, Assistant United States Attorney, will prosecute the cases.
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