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Defendant Charged with Making False Statements Related to COVID-19 Relief Funds
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Defendant Charged with Making False Statements Related to COVID-19 Relief Funds

NEW ORLEANS – Bria Peters, age 38, formerly of New Orleans, LA and now residing in Houston, Texas, was charged on August 18, 2023 in a one-count bill of information with making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.

According to the charging documents, Peters made false statements to an approved lender on or about May 27, 2021, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan, which she later received in the amount of approximately $29,166.00.

Peters stated in her PPP application that she owned a clothing business impacted by the pandemic when, in truth, she had no such business in 2020.

Peters faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the false statements count. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee due after conviction.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the 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.