Barrett Pleads Guilty to $550K Pandemic Loan Fraud

ATLANTA – Rena Barrett, a former Small Business Administration (‘SBA’) loan officer, has been caught in a sordid web of fraud as she pleads guilty to embezzling over $550,000 through false statements on COVID-19 pandemic loans. The 45-year-old from Covington, Ga., is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2025.

Barrett’s deceitful acts came under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a critical lifeline for small businesses during the pandemic. United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg condemned her actions, stating that those who betray the public trust in their positions of authority are intolerable and will be held accountable.

According to court documents, Barrett submitted a fraudulent application for $170,000 in May 2021, which was later approved by herself, despite initial SBA refusal. She received nearly half of the funds before resigning from the SBA after her scheme was uncovered.

In a related case, Sheena Thompson, 49, from Conyers, Ga., has also pled guilty to attempting to obtain over $150,000 in fraudulent EIDL loans, with her sentencing set for August 28, 2025. Another defendant, Detra Lewis, 40, of Atlanta, Ga., admitted to obtaining over $1.25 million through a false Paycheck Protection Program loan application, with her sentencing scheduled for November 14, 2025.

The investigation into Barrett and Thompson is being conducted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations, while Lewis’ case is under the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s jurisdiction. Assistant United States Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting all three cases.

Established in May 2021, the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force has been instrumental in combating pandemic-related fraud, enhancing coordination across government agencies to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure accountability.

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