Charleston Woman Admits to PPP Loan Laundering

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shamiese Wright, 32, of Charleston, admitted in federal court on July 14, 2025, that she knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a lifeline intended for struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wright pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting monetary laundering, a charge carrying a hefty potential sentence.

Court documents reveal that Wright illegally received $15,625 from a fraudulently obtained PPP loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The scheme, orchestrated with co-defendant Kisha Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, involved submitting a falsified loan application claiming Wright was a self-employed individual with $75,000 in 2020 income. This application, backed by a bogus IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, was a complete fabrication – Wright was not self-employed and never earned that amount.

The fraudulent application was approved by a Florida-based PPP lender, and the ill-gotten funds landed in Wright’s Charleston bank account around May 7, 2021. But Wright didn’t just pocket the money. She admitted to transferring $3,000 to Sutton via a digital wallet between May 7th and May 21st, 2021. This wasn’t a legitimate transaction; it was pre-arranged compensation for Sutton’s role in submitting the false application. Wright deliberately staggered the payments and used misleading descriptions to obscure the source and nature of the funds, a clear attempt to conceal their criminal activity. The remainder of the money was spent on personal expenses.

This case is part of a wider investigation into a network of individuals exploiting the CARES Act. The PPP was designed to provide forgivable loans to qualifying businesses and self-employed individuals hit hard by the pandemic, requiring proof of operation and prior income. Wright, along with her co-defendants, blatantly disregarded these requirements, treating the program as a personal slush fund. William Powell, 35, of Huntington, and Damisha Brown, 32, of Charleston, have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, with sentencing dates set for August 14th and October 2nd, 2025, respectively. Jasmine Spencer, 32, of Charleston, also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting bank fraud on March 25, 2025, and is slated for sentencing on August 21, 2025. The total fraudulent loans involved in this conspiracy amount to $140,625.

Wright now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. She is also responsible for $18,736.73 in restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2025, before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston praised the collaborative investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).

Authorities urge anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud to contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon, alongside former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson, are prosecuting the case.

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